


Drop a Stone 2020 version -- After Breaking the Timestreamer

by Smoke_Bramandin



Series: Drop a Stone [7]
Category: Legacy of Kain
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:55:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 23
Words: 25,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25156600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smoke_Bramandin/pseuds/Smoke_Bramandin
Summary: The continuing adventures in the time after the Pillars' restoration.  Seriously I do not know how long this thing is going to get.  The squid is still alive but dying, but there is another force at work.I also didn't intend for this to get so NSFW, but there is a lot of talking about sex.
Relationships: Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Drop a Stone [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1605454
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

It was less than a month after Sarah had been replaced as the Mind Guardian. Her successor had been found, and it came as a shock that the new Guardian was a Hylden instead of the vempari born on the same day. Chixiksi hadn’t even been looking when he sensed her close to his home. Kain shut down the argument about the Pillar’s choice before it properly began, saying that the Pillar had options and made its selection. Archimedes instead began an argument about letting Sarah near her successor, and Chixiksi convinced Tanyanika’s parents to move to the other Hylden settlement.

This part happened a few days after that.

“This is a bad time,” Chixiksi said to Archimedes’ request to speak.

“I’m aware,” Archimedes responded. “I hate to bring you more anguish, but I need to tell you what I know.”

Ozker was openly weeping when Archimedes arrived. Biological Hylden had a natural ability to choose not to let their emotions show, and Chixiksi seemed stoic despite feeling the same as his husband.

Archimedes said, “I do apologize deeply for the intrusion, and for what I feel I must say. I will be truthful, but I need to ask you to make a choice. I’m aware of your rules, but I will describe why I want you to break them. May I see the fetus?”

Chixiksi led Archimedes into the lab that contained their latest attempt at having a child together. Archimedes felt a little revulsion at the method, but he let it wash over him without affecting his outer demeanor. It took some mental gymnastics to accept that their way was as valid as having a living woman carry the life. He held a hand up to the tank and asked, “May I?”

Chixiksi nodded, and Archimedes laid his hand against the glass. Archimedes closed his eyes as he said. “His life would be harder than just being a hybrid. Metal on his legs will hurt him, but that will pass. He is your most viable chance for a long while, and in most of the probabilities, you give up.”

Archimedes turned away from the tank. “I am done with intruding on your privacy. Whatever you decide no longer factors into the plan I had in mind when I first started focusing on your efforts.”

Chixiksi frowned. “Our choices are to let an imperfect tank-child survive, or to face never having one of our own?”

“You two are immortal, and that means you have near-infinite chances to achieve a hybrid that the rules will let live,” Archimedes said. “But effectively, that is the choice that I’ve inflicted on you.”

“I’m unhappy, but thank you,” Chixiksi said. “Please leave us now.”

Ozker and Chixiksi had a long discussion, and eventually they did decide to break the rules. While naturally-gestated children were allowed to have defects, an artificially-generated one was supposed to be disposed of if it didn’t meet certain standards. This was to account for how the machines lacked a natural tendency to reject what biology would.

Up until that point, every single element about their trying to have a child was discouraged but allowed. Two men could make a child that was a mix of their DNA, even just one immortal parent needed consent from the ruling-body, (Chixiksi was the ruling body at the time of license,) and hybrids were afforded the same rights as full-Hylden. Chixiksi and Ozker were punished appropriately, but the spirit of the rules was that the child does not suffer and he was allowed to stay with his parents. On his name-day, he became called Ribaki.

Archimedes’ plan was beyond individuals trying to inflict change in a natural manner, though Catullus’ contribution was still important. He intended to open a boarding school where the children of the three races would learn how to live together in peace. As for the vampires, that was a different battle, and a major victory happened a short time later.

Archimedes walked into the time-window room and nonchalantly strolled past Kain to the far end. 

“No complaints today, Timestreamer?” Kain asked.

Archimedes didn’t bother to look at him. “I’m not in the mood for a fight. Besides, letting you in here will be easier than dealing with your paranoia, and I’d like some help on a project.”

“I have my own problems,” Kain said. “The vampires of Aschedorf are importing large amounts of vimputu.”

“Your subjects have a right to live as they see fit, even if it means not living as you’d like them to,” Archimedes said. “But that does relate to what I want help with. If the demand for farmed blood drops too quickly, a lot of humans will lose their livelihood. It’s a Balance problem and you understand better how to manipulate vampires. Do you think you can slow things down?”

Kain narrowed his eyes. “Whose side are you on?”

“For now, not the vampires that embrace their sadism,” Archimedes said. “Try not to worry, I don’t intend to harm them. They can’t come around if they’re dead.”

“What do you intend to do?” Kain asked.

Archimedes considered. “I think my best option is to see if entropy and peer-pressure takes care of them.” He operated a time-window and indicated that Kain should look. “I swear that I didn’t realize what was happening until you did. Even if you immediately sealed Sarah away where no one could talk to her, the damage was done. I doubt that you could track down every vampire that she influenced.”

Kain watched the time-window, frowned, adjusted the controls, frowned deeper, and finally said, “I cannot deny the proof you’ve shown me.” He blinked. “It feels odd to believe that you’re being forthright.”

“I can’t be candid all of the time, but you would be used to it if I hadn’t spent so long being afraid that you would hurt me over it,” Archimedes said. “We might disagree on a lot of things, but I never wanted to be your enemy.”

“What if your plans involve using me in a way that I don’t want?” Kain asked.

“When you had to choose between yourself and the world, you can’t have known that you were making the right choice.” Archimedes took a breath. “This is hypothetical, but what if there is a next time, and what if you wouldn’t survive making the right choice?”

“I don’t know,” Kain said.

“If it stops being hypothetical, I would like you to be aware of the choice,” Archimedes said. “I cannot make any promises. If your answer would be absolutely yourself, I would be tempted to quit. I could join the Rahabim and disappear into the ocean if this world becomes lost.”

Kain shook his head. “You would at least try to force me even if it meant my taking you down with me.”

“I want to see you do the right thing,” Archimedes said. “Please don’t make me manipulate you into it.”

Kain frowned. “Sarah once said something similar.”

“She spent a lot of time taking care of me,” Archimedes said.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a somber day in the Circle’s chamber, and only Guardians were present. It was four months after Sarah had been removed, and they were to discuss removing another.

Kain said, “Sarah had probed each of your minds to rank your connection to your respective Pillars. I have also made a list of how it feels from my side. Archimedes has given his point of view. I also have a sense of how many members can be removed at once without disrupting things too badly.”

“Archimedes made two lists, and I agree with being removed before Lorica,” Finneas said. “Just because removing the necromantic vampires is simpler does not mean that it makes things easier. Since my brother was able to be revived, I would like that same opportunity. If it isn’t possible with Lorica’s necromancy for some reason, I am also willing to join clan Rahab and hope that some of Sarah’s hybrid oddities are unique to her.”

Chixiksi said, “I know I am near the bottom of all lists, but I am close to choosing a clan as well.”

“Reviving you should be easier than it was for your brother,” Lorica told Finneas.

Archimedes noticed Keturah shaking. “Keturah, I will argue that you should at least have a normal lifespan before your removal, possibly Catullus’ lifespan, and you can see that you are near the bottom of all lists as well.”

Keturah stood. “Thank you for that, but I can’t be a part of deciding the fate of the rest of you.” She barely held her composure as she strode from the room.”

“Finneas and Hardegin are the only factor in my own removal,” Lorica said. “I do not care about keeping my position or my powers.”

“Bavol should have been removed long ago,” Kain said.

“I would have suggested it sooner, both him and Sarah, but I was selfish in waiting to grow up before dealing with my predecessor. Bavol might have been needed as a ground.” Archimedes frowned. “Now that I am not being so blinded, I realize that I shouldn’t have waited so long. Lorica is more of a concern than Bavol.”

“Four at once is the limit I would like to set,” Kain said.

Hardegin said, “I do not mind the thought of dying permanently. If Lorica needs to go, and Finneas needs to go before her, and Bavol needs to go…”

“Bavol is adequate to the needs of his Pillar and it can wait,” Kain said. “The issue is that he would not rouse himself even for this.”

Archimedes nodded. “I cannot foresee an issue with this choice.”

There was a delay to wait for another vempari to be born, and a hope that one of the Pillars would find him as a suitable option. Keturah attended the retirement, and Archimedes held her hand to comfort her.

Finneas went first. He laid his token at the base of the Pillar, stepped to the center of the dais, and Lorica simply made him be dead. She caught him as he fell and slowly lowered him to the floor. As soon as his token was accepted, Lorica returned his life.

Finneas gasped and said, “That wasn’t as unpleasant as I was expecting.”

Lorica nodded in acknowledgement. Hardegin’s retirement was the same. For Lorica, she needed to be impaled, and Kain had to restrain her when the spear was removed.

As the Guardians and former Guardians dispersed, Hardegin stopped Chixiksi in the hallway. “Now that I no longer have a responsibility to keep my vampiric durability, I’m interested in becoming mortal again.”

Even in retirement, the former Guardians weren’t completely without responsibility until their successors came of age. Sarah was excluded because of her status as a dangerous force of chaos, and the Pillars temporarily needed Kain’s full attention, but Archimedes, Keturah, Chixiksi, Ozker, Hardegin, Lorica, and Finneas decided to have an informal meeting. To add to the informality, they decided to have a light meal for those that could eat and blood for the vampires that wanted it.

Finneas scowled at Hardegin and the noises he made as he ate. “I suggest steering clear of Vorador. He’d be less understanding than I about your revolting decision.”

Hardegin had the decency to swallow before speaking. “It’s not like I wanted it in the first place, and this alone was worth being cured. I didn’t even realize how much I missed food. Archimedes, if they start talking again about cursing you, I want to put a word in.”

Archimedes nodded his thanks.

Finneas turned to Ozker. “Do you really not mind the taste of that swill?”

“We have some ideas about improving the flavor, but the biggest problem now is that it is bland,” Ozker said. “Sarah tried using hot sauce, but apparently even human-based vampires don’t respond to capsaicin.”

“Substance developed by masochists,” Archimedes grumbled.

Keturah was concerned that Archimedes still had a grudge over her well-meaning mistake, but she was happy that his anger wasn’t directed at her.

“As fascinating as this is, we came here to discuss something else,” Lorica said.

“Your successor was born in Carthage. His name is Grigori,” Keturah said.

“Conflict is another Hylden, and his dad hasn’t decided on his name yet,” Chixiksi said. “It’s unusual because the warrior caste doesn’t commonly reproduce the natural way.”

“I give up on trying to figure out why the Pillars keep choosing Hylden. At least Nature is human. His name is Birney and he was born in Letestadt like I was,” Archimedes said. “Each Guardian is in a problematic place right now, but Birney is the one who must be moved. His father is Head Chancellor and is unwilling to leave. I’m still thinking about what I want to do about it.”

“I’ve passed over Letestadt. It feels dead,” Finneas said.

Archimedes nodded. “Among the other problems, I imagine that he’d find it unbearable.”

“I think I can get Grigori’s parents to move to Valeholm,” Keturah said.

Archimedes shook his head. “Even if he knows what he is, there is a chance he’ll have an accident with his nascent powers and the people in Carthage are more likely to react with understanding. Wait until we’re sure he’s in control.”

“What about Conflict?” Chixiksi asked.

“Let him know what he is earlier than the others,” Archimedes said. “There is a strong chance that they’ll let Hardegin be one of his mentors, considering that they let a Dumahim into the caste. Ozker should also have a few chats with him, unless you think that the divisions between castes will soften, Chixiksi.”

Chixiksi frowned and grumbled, “You’re not going to start that argument again.”

Archimedes shook his head. “Despite my opinion, I cannot meddle responsibly.”

Their conversation wandered around the plans for the new Guardians. It included Archimedes’ reasoning for letting most of them have a few years of not knowing what they were.

They finished their meal, Keturah brought out cake, and Hardegin could barely contain his pleasure at his first taste of it.


	3. Chapter 3

Catullus was seventeen and it was several months after the events in Breaking the Timestreamer. His school had arranged a camping trip for the students who were nearing adulthood, both human and vempari, though there were to be two separate campsites in the woods of New Eden.

The human campsite was vacant save for the shelters, unlit campfire, and supplies. The vempari had invited the humans into their site, which was oddly big enough to hold both groups, though it did cause a commotion.

Malin scowled at the vempari, but addressed another human. “Your parents don’t want you around them. They’re not like us.”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t tell them, but I don’t care,” Radley said. “They’re not my real parents anyway and I’ll be fine if they kick me out. I’m curious about the vempari.”

“What about you, Meldon?” Malin asked.

Meldon was fully aware of his role as a spy, though he reported directly to Catullus now instead of Sarah. His foster father was the local infernum and didn’t care what he did as long as he didn’t get into trouble. “Do you really want to go back to the other camp and miss out on seeing what they’re up to?”

About a third of the humans went back to their campsite, though some that remained were biased or had biased parents. Meldon said, “Not this time, weird kid.”

Catullus knew that it was part of the act, but when he lived in Aschedorf that name had stung. He noticed another person walking into the camp. “Everyone, this is Archimedes, my brother.”

“It’s just Archie tonight.” He noticed the confused looks. “I’m adopted.”

The confused looks deepened, and there were a few murmurs about a human being raised by a vempari.

Radley said, “There’s a rule about orphans in Letestadt. You feed one, you own him. I don’t know what that vampire was doing inside the walls, but I was so hungry that I didn’t care who claimed me. Lady Fortuna was really messing with me for stealing her offerings.”

“What sort of vampire was it?” Archimedes asked.

“It was Aunt Sarah.” Catullus turned to Radley. “She can be very scary if you get on her bad side, but she’s actually pretty nice. It was still probably better that she gave you to that couple; she constantly reminded us of the chance that she would go feral.”

Archimedes resisted the urge to go into a tirade about how Radley was lucky that he had slipped through the clutches of a creature far more capricious and dangerous than Lady Fortuna. He didn’t because Catullus knew very little about what Sarah really was and it was counterproductive to have him think of her as a destroyer of all she touched. It had taken Archimedes longer than he would have liked to realize that she was the infernum that forged Catullus into his purpose, not only directly but in that she created all of the tools including himself.

As the sun set and the fire was lit, the conversation drifted into talking about vampires.

Archimedes had wanted to stay out of that one, to just be Catullus’ brother instead of a Guardian, but he said, “Catullus, you’ve been sheltered from what wild vampires are really like. The ones that aren’t feral are capable of following the law, but many take a dim view of mortals. That may change in time, but for now it is best to treat them with the respect due to a predator. I was very nearly attacked not far from here, and he was not feral.”

Just then, there was the sound of breaking branches in the forest, causing most of the group to cower in fright.

“Are there vampires in these woods?” Arlet’s wings twitched in anxiety.

“The Lord of this territory was supposed to give them the night off,” Archimedes said. “The only reason they would be making that much noise is if they were gardening… unless he’s trying to scare us.”

“I’ll have a word with Finneas,” a voice said from the darkness. “You can manage, right Ozker?”

“Sounds like the woods are crawling with vampires,” Catullus said. “That was Hardegin, right?”

“Hardegin is cured and I merely have an affliction,” Ozker said. “The vampires watching the other camp are under strict instructions to stay quiet.”

“A trader told me a tale about Vorador that I was going to share, but suddenly I don’t feel like telling scary stories,” Otik said. “He sounds like he was a terrible beast.”

“He seemed decent enough when I met him,” Catullus said.”

Otik frowned. “He’s supposed to be dead.”

“Yes, he’s supposed to be.” Archimedes didn’t bother to hide his disgust. “They revived him several months ago and he’s wandering around somewhere. The worst part is that he is fully rational and enjoys being known as the most wicked of his kind.”

Ozker’s voice sounded from the darkness again. “Perhaps Vorador will go away if you stop talking about him.”

“But what if they start again when I’m out of earshot?” Vorador asked.

Archimedes considered what he could do to get rid of Vorador. He didn’t want to threaten him with Sarah, or even mention that his sister had once outdone him. Using sorcery against him was in his authority, but there would be political repercussions.

Catullus leaned back to speak to the darkness behind him. “Could you please stop trying to ruin our camping trip? I don’t want you picking on the other camp, either.”

“He’s gone,” Ozker said. “I’ll have Hardegin check on the other camp.”

“The fearsome and terrible Vorador?” Radley asked.

Archimedes said, “Make no mistake, he wasn’t leaving out of courtesy. I’m not the only Guardian in Catullus’ family and vampires take blood seriously.”

They set their food to cook in and over the fire. Then a bottle of goon, a wine-like drink with no dignity, was passed around. A few vempari sniffed curiously, but they knew that humans could consume things that could kill them. Archimedes declined to drink more than a small sip because he valued his wits.

When the food was ready, another bottle was passed around. “It’s hot sauce,” Catullus warned as he handed it to Archimedes. 

Archimedes passed the bottle along, but was surprised when a quiet girl poured a liberal amount over her meal and took a large bite. “Doesn’t that hurt?”

She shook her head as she chewed.

Catullus laughed. “They made it into a competition and then they started liking it. Lailah is a champion.”

Archimedes shuddered.


	4. Chapter 4

Archimedes’ reaction to the hot-sauce prompted Catullus to tell the story of why. “We were pretty young and Mom didn’t know that hot sauce burns humans. So we’re eating dinner and Archimedes suddenly starts screaming. Aunt Sarah comes in, takes one look at him, and starts going through the kitchen. Then she came back out and forced him to rinse his mouth out with strigil oil.”

“It did help, but…” Archimedes shuddered again.

Wesley asked, “So is Sarah Archimedes’ aunt?”

“It’s a title,” Archimedes said. “Our aunt and uncle aren’t related to either one of us, but they did help take care of us.”

Arlet said, “Like cunassam. Most of us were born because of obligation, raised in creches so our parents could fight.”

“It sounds awful,” Wesley said.

“War is awful,” Bahira said. “Feeling like it was normal and expected was awful.”

“Easy, my love,” Arlet said, lacing her talons with Bahira’s. “We’re free. It won’t happen again.”

Wesley raised his eyebrows. “I’m still not used to the idea of women being in love with each other. Or men.”

“Commitments between only two people for life is almost unusual for us,” Otik said. “Who are you considering for the third?”

“If there weren’t so few of us, we would never invite a man to our bed, cousin,” Bahira said. “The rules about fruitful pairings were to keep the Wheel turning.”

Otik and Bahira both had more than one possible father, but that one of his possible fathers was confirmedly her mother’s brother was enough to keep them apart.

“I might ask you to father one of my children someday, Otik,” Arlet said. “However, Catullus, you’re handsome and might provide us with beautiful children… if your interest isn’t the jealous type?”

Catullus blushed and said a word that meant, “She’s not interested back.”

Arlet frowned in confusion, and Archimedes said, “Unrequited love is something he would be teased for in Aschedorf.”

Bahira smiled. “We’re not in Aschedorf, but it does explain why you try to hide it.”

Lailah quirked her head. “You can tell who someone likes just by looking?”

“Humans can’t?” Bahira asked. “The signs are subtle, but yes. His feathers shift every time he’s near you.”

Lailah gasped in shock, stared at Catullus for a moment, and left the campfire. She wandered through the woods for several minutes before she calmed enough to realize that she was lost and possibly in danger.

“Do not be afraid. I couldn’t allow you to wander off alone.” The area was illuminated with a dim light, barely enough to let Lailah’s dark-adjusted eyes see, revealing Ozker standing on the narrow path behind her.

“I thought you sounded like a vempari,” Lailah said. “What do you think of it?”

“I was a vempari once,” Ozker said. “That you didn’t know his feelings for you… I imagine that he realized that you would be embarrassed.”

“He’s nice, but I… it makes my skin crawl,” Lailah said.

“My husband is a Hylden and not everyone acknowledges that I became one. To enter willingly into a union between Hylden and vempari is considered transgressive, unthinkable,” Ozker said. “That we are unfruitful does little to ease the disgust we face from either side. It surprises me that those girls were not repulsed with the idea of you and Catullus.”

“Then why would he like me?” Lailah frowned.

“He spent half of his life never seeing another vempari, other than his mother and technically myself,” Ozker said. “He is confused and doesn’t have the ability to completely hide what he’s feeling. Anyone who judges you for rejecting him… It would not be questioned if you simply did not find him handsome. You could reject someone if they had too much hair or the wrong shape of nose, correct?”

Lailah nodded. “I’m barely used to being around vempari. Mostly it’s the hands.”

Ozker chuckled. “I took me longer than I like to admit to stop flinching at the sight of those spindly fingers.”

“I think I’m ready to go back to the vempari camp,” Lailah said.

They walked past Hardegin, who was leaning against a tree outside of the light of the fire. He put his talon his lips and pointed upwards, indicating where Catullus was hiding. Lailah sat down without saying a word, but was grateful that Catullus’ embarrassment caused him to leave as well.

Archimedes said, “Aunt Sarah is a vampire, but it was useful that she remembers being human. Keturah was very disturbed when I lost my first tooth.”

“You lost a tooth?” Arlet asked.

Archimedes smiled. “Humans get two sets of teeth. It’s a little like molting for the baby teeth, then we grow the ones that stay with us for the rest of their lives.”

There were frowns from the vempari.

Archimedes shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s normal to treat it like it matters, but we got treats every time I shed a tooth… at least until I started trying to knock them out deliberately.”

“Yeah, that’s weird,” Wesley said. “The way my parents did it was to tell me stories about evil spirits who would use my teeth against me if I didn’t make sure they destroyed them.”

Radley said, “In Letestadt, we offered them to Lady Fortuna. I hope she’s fickle enough to have forgotten about me.”

Archimedes frowned. “I want to speak with you about that in private, but it can wait.”

The vempari looked at Radley with pity. Even those who had learned the truth too early to be useful were angry at their kind being used by something posing as a god.

Otik then explained how molted feathers were kept, and sometimes used to repair damaged feathers that were not ready to molt. He pointed out how he had the feather of a barely-acquaintance glued into his wing because he was clumsy.

It grew late, and everyone but Archimedes decided to start turning in. He promised to bank the fire when he was ready to sleep.

“It sounds like you’ll be up for a while,” Radley said.

“It recently changed, but over half of the Circle were vampires,” Archimedes said. “I’m used to being something of an owl and I’m not looking forward to how early everyone will wake. I might just decide to impose on Finneas for some quiet.”

“I have things on my mind that will keep me awake anyway,” Radley said.


	5. Chapter 5

“I didn’t believe in Lady Fortuna until I came here. Trying to make sense of what happened…” Radley sighed.

“I don’t like that I don’t understand what’s going on,” Archimedes said. “I can see into the future and interfere with events to a certain extent. If the Lady of the Stars is more than a superstition, even as an incarnation of what the vempari used to worship, she has the potential to be a direct adversary to me.”

“I won’t cooperate with her,” Radley said.

“The Wheel of Fate shackles everyone who passes through its damn cycle, and even the unwilling are subject to its whim. If Fortuna exists, why should it be any different? Even my own meager meddling can be unwelcome.” Archimedes sighed. “Sarah is an element that was never under the parasite’s control, and is a force capable of opposing it with an ease I lack. She broke your chains and freed you from your Destiny. You were supposed to succumb to hunger or cold years ago.”

“Why?” Radley asked.

“The parasite feeds on misery and death. I am willing to believe that Sarah’s intentions were simple.” Archimedes was lying, but he was still open to the possibility that Sarah didn’t have ulterior motives in mind. It was conceivable that she was being unconsciously compelled by an unknown enemy of the squid. “Seeing a child in pain seems to offend her. She often tries to solve the problem in front of her without thinking about wider consequences.”

Radley was silent for several minutes. “Is she Fortuna?”

“I hope not.” Archimedes wished that his misotheism wasn’t contrary to saying something like ‘dear god’ and even ‘fuck’ fell flat outside of a culture that reviled sex. Treating the Pillars as a mystical force felt silly, and empire blasphemies weren’t something he could take seriously enough despite or because of Kain acting like a drunkard child-beater towards him. He was often tempted to take Sarah’s ridiculous suggestion that he should try to create a god who enjoyed being blasphemed against.

Archimedes continued. “Sarah is an antithesis to what I am, and I would have dealt with her long ago if I were able. I have the opportunity to try now, but her destructive mayhem is currently serving a purpose I agree with. Her own luck is that I’ve learned how to anticipate most of her impulsive whims and can tolerate her existence.”

Radley stared at Archimedes, his face a mask of misery. “Can you see my future?”

“It is difficult to see once someone’s Destiny has been broken,” Archimedes said. “You could be unimportant, the rest of your life as inconsequential as a footprint in water-washed sand. I have a desire to change that, but you seem like you would take offense to being guided onto a path of consequence.”

“What do you want?” Radley asked.

“I want an ally in Letestadt, someone with a credible reason to live among them,” Archimedes said. “You might not be able to learn anything useful about Fortuna through them, but you stand a better chance than I. I also have another reason. I don’t like to admit that I gamble outside of recreation, but I want you to be available in case I need to hedge a bet.”

Radley frowned. “Can you protect me against Fortuna?”

Archimedes shook his head. “If you serve me, I will do what I can for you, though it might feel inadequate. In addition to that, I can give you enough money to shield you from starvation, though you will be required to seem like you’re not receiving funds outside of what you earn yourself.”

Radley said, “You’re not putting much effort into making it appealing.”

“I’m capable of that, but I have a misplaced sense of responsibility,” Archimedes said. “There are adequate replacements for the way you fit into my plan, other orphans who would hand over their lives to fill their bellies. You come with more awareness of what I’m asking, and it makes you a better instrument.”

“I don’t like this,” Radley said.

“Then refuse me. It’s rare that I give people the option,” Archimedes said. “I’m far from malicious, but I am a person wielding power that was not meant for anyone less than a god. You have the choice to spend the rest of your life in a quiet obscurity where nothing interesting ever happens.”

“Unless Fortuna still has issue with me,” Radley said.

“I avoid promises; revile them, even. I don’t know what I’m dealing with, and if Fortuna decides to have her way with you...” Archimedes trailed off before he admitted that he might just watch to see what she was capable of.

“I need to think about this,” Radley said.

“You have a few months, though it will annoy me on a personal level if you take longer than a week or so to give me at least a temporary answer,” Archimedes said. “I think I’m ready to call it a night. Do you want me to bank the fire, or do you want to stare at it for a while?”

“I’ll be awake for a while longer,” Radley said.

“I do have one request that I hope you’ll grant,” Archimedes said. “Please don’t talk to Catullus about this. I’ve done something like this to him and it is a sore subject.”

Catullus was still up a tree, but only seeming to be asleep, and he heard everything despite them keeping their voices low.


	6. Chapter 6

Though the various cities remained politically divided, trade still happened. Letestadt tolerated some medicines and other useful things produced by Hylden, and Hylden had uses for leather and minerals. There was a trading outpost an hour’s travel from Letestadt, and it was there that the humans unhooked their cow from the wagon so that a pair of vampires could take it the rest of the way.

“The cargo smells stronger than usual,” the Turelim said as she let a Dumahim harness her to the wagon.

“Airing it out isn’t our problem,” the Dumahim replied.

They traveled through the night, telling jokes and having arguments of little consequence. There were ruts in the road that tried to force the wagon toward Aschedorf, but the Dumahim shouldered the wagon onto the right fork with the ease of frequent practice. It was dawn when they reached Nadzeya. 

A Melchiahim pulled back the tarp covering the cargo and frowned. “What is this?”

The Dumahim looked and frowned as well. “We did not know that she was there.”

“Please don’t hurt me,” the woman said. “I needed to get out of that city.”

“You need to get out of this one as well, human.” The Melchiahim briefly entered the closest building and returned with a heavy robe. “Put this on, keep every part of your skin covered. Act like you’re afraid of the sun.”

They quickly walked across the city and came to a tiny walled courtyard. There was an unassuming carving of the symbol for the Pillar of States hanging on the gate. A Hylden woman was sweeping the stones, and she said something in the harsh tones of her language.

The Melchiahim responded, and they had a short but angry-sounding argument. The human woman bit her lip as she huddled in the cloak. Her fear was real, though it was that she would be discovered instead of being afraid of the sun. The hood obscured her vision and she couldn’t see the second woman that joined the argument.

“I’ll handle this,” the unknown woman said. She lightly grabbed the human’s elbow. “Come on inside.” Once they were alone, she added. “I can smell that you’re human. You can take the robe off if you want. The States Guardian and his servant are out right now, but they should be able to get you home. Have a seat. Are you thirsty? Need a snack?”

She shook her head as she sat. “I don’t want to go back to Letestadt. My name is Lailah of Valeholm and I was desperate enough to ask Fortuna for help. I turned from her shrine and saw the cart, so I hid in the cargo.”

“My name is Sarah. For someone from Valeholm to invite the attention of the Lady… It must have been bad.”

Lailah nodded. “You are Catullus’ aunt? He had… feelings for me and my parents wouldn’t stand for it. After we moved, I was forced to marry a terrible man. He might demand that I’m returned to him.”

“I’m a little unclear on Letestadt law, but it sounds like you don’t have the right to refuse him,” Sarah said. 

Lailah put a hand on her abdomen. “He brags about holding me down and I’m mocked for not submitting. I like vempari rules better.”

“The Circle has to respect each community governing itself as long as certain rules are followed, even though that particular bit is not worthy of respect.” Sarah’s clipped tones conveyed her controlled disdain. “I’m no longer a part of the Circle and I might be able to do something without causing an incident.”

Chixiksi and Ozker chose that moment to appear. Chixiksi frowned because he’d heard her last sentence. “What are you planning to do?”

Sarah quickly explained.

“I also want to help Lailah,” Ozker said.

Chixiksi shook his head. “This is your personal matter, but it might not be seen that way. They might view it as a vempari with backing from the Circle interfering with human affairs.”

“What about a vampire without ties to the Circle?” Sarah asked. “I know a couple clever Zephonim who would happily do me a favor in exchange for some fresh bottles. I’m not sure what they’d be able to do, but they still have a cult of worshippers and one more human would not be noticed.”

Lailah flinched. “That does not sound pleasant.”

“We’re at a stage where I’m throwing out dumb ideas to see if a good one gets lured in,” Sarah said.

Further discussion was cut off as Lailah fainted. She awoke on a waist-high platform with Chixiksi standing over her. The Hylden frowned in concern. “It’s good that you’re awake. Both you and your child are fine, you passed out from stress, but I would like to give you some medicine.”

Lailah nodded. “The midwife says that it’s normal, but I hate being pregnant. I wish it would just die.”

“I can help with that if you genuinely want it dead. It would not be painless, and there are risks, but it would be less than if you carried it to term,” Chixiksi said. “Pregnancy is hard on the body, and our own women are not obligated to carry a child against their will.”

Lailah flinched. “Wishing that it would die is different than actually trying to kill it.”

“I cannot harm it until you understand the procedure. It is completely your choice for as long as that child is within your body,” Chixiksi said. “Usually an unwanted child is prevented, and removing it is more often used when the child threatens its mother’s health.”

“That’s almost the opposite of vempari,” Lailah said. “They seem obligated to have children.”

Chixiksi nodded. “They’re facing extinction again if they do not have the largest families they can. Duty is important to them, but they are still given a choice of when and how to meet it.”

“But what does that mean for Ozker?” Lailah asked. “I keep getting confused about what he is.”

“He was born a vempari and now he is culturally a Hylden. He also has a curable version of the bloodcurse, which currently causes him to be sterile. The cure would make him irreversibly mortal, but we have proof that the sterility would also be cured,” Chixiksi said. “Ozker might decide to go back someday, or at least enough to father children, but for now he won’t. There is also a way to create a child artificially, even with Ozker retaining the curse, but the vempari reject the unnatural method.”

“I wonder if my husband would leave me alone if I wasn’t human,” Lailah said.

“We could consider this line of reasoning, but I’m not sure that it’s a good idea,” Chixiksi said. “Only one human vampire has been cured, and we’re still dealing with untested theories.”

“I think I met him,” Lailah said. “Does Hardegin still look like a vampire?”


	7. Chapter 7

It was two years after the Nature Guardian was born. Too early for the boy himself to know what he was, but Archimedes had introduced himself to Birney’s parents almost immediately. Today was another meeting, under the pretense of Archimedes checking on his fellow Guardian. He’d brought a carved wooden ball as a small birthday gift.

As Birney wandered away to play with his new toy, his father said, “Hard to believe that he’s going to be a sorcerer.”

“He’s unassuming now, but someday he’ll wield great power,” Archimedes said. “To that end, I’m not ready to tell him what he is, but I do want to start giving him lessons.”

“How can you teach him sorcery without telling him that he’s a sorcerer?” Caldwell asked.

“You’ve chosen a fine tutor that can cover the subjects an ordinary nobleman should know, some a bit more thoroughly than what he needs, but there will also be gaps.” Archimedes let his gaze wander around the room, and he frowned. “I’m sorry, but is there a specific reason why your clock is wrong?”

“People are usually impressed that I have one, but it’s never worked right,” Caldwell said. “What sort of gaps will he have that you can teach him?”

Archimedes held his gaze on the malfunctioning clock, maintaining a pretense that it was distracting him even though it was just a faulty gadget. He considered his answer and decided to give reasons that the chancellor would understand. Saying that one of the lessons involved pottery lacked a certain dignity, though really Birney just needed to play in the mud. Caldwell saw even falconry as a less than noble practice despite it once being a sport of kings.

“I am the only other human currently in the Circle. Birney will need to know the meanings of the metaphors they use, what values they hold, even what gestures they find impolite. It is not the only gap I’ll need to fill, but it is an important one.”

“Some of your mannerisms seem strange,” Caldwell said. “Come meet the other chancellors, have a drink with us. I want to know what they make of you.”

“Please do not take offense that I can only have one glass,” Archimedes said as he followed Caldwell out the door. “Bad things will happen if I addle my wits too greatly.”

Caldwell introduced Archimedes to Warrick, Mendel, and Woodruff.

“I’d like to borrow some of your men, Caldwell,” Warrick said. “It seems that my wife has disappeared, and she might have decided to return to Valeholm.”

Caldwell frowned. “Has your father-in-law given you any advice on how to handle it if that wild woman hasn’t simply been eaten in the attempt?”

Warrick shook his head. “He doesn’t know what they’ll do if she won’t submit to coming back.”

Archimedes frowned. “I apologize for intruding, but if she does not want to return, can’t you simply let her go?”

“She is my wife and the mother to my unborn child. She is supposed to be obedient to me,” Warrick said. “I might have gotten a bad deal by accepting a woman who would not be tamed, but I will not relinquish her.”

Archimedes save-scummed to hide his ignorance and learn that local law gave the man the right to force his wife to do what he wanted. “The vempari will take issue with you trying to retrieve her by force. They will not agree with the idea that your rules apply outside of your walls, especially one that offends their sensibilities.”

“Are there not different rules for vempari and humans in the same town?” Caldwell asked. “I say that some rules follow a citizen of Letestadt no matter where they go, especially someone who broke the rules by leaving.”

“Perhaps I can find a peaceful solution to this problem.” Archimedes’ eyes glowed with power and then darkened as he flinched. “She didn’t go to Valeholm.”

“Where did she go?” Warrick asked.

Archimedes frowned and wished that his powers were more suited to a flashy display. He knew a few parlor tricks, but trying to use charlatanism, even reinforced with real magic, had the potential to make him seem tawdry. He was already relying on resources other than prognostication to understand the situation, though looking into the future showed him that he was in a dangerous position with unappealing outlets. It was a minute before he answered. “It is better if you simply surrender her. It will not end well if you try to force the matter.”

“Are you certain of that?” Caldwell asked.

“I’m only close to omniscient. Being able to see further than most still leaves room for mistakes, though they are rare.” Archimedes hated to admit it, but it was better than being caught out. “That woman prayed to Fortuna for escape, and that prayer was immediately answered. I’ve faced more than one godlike entity, but the Lady is frustratingly mysterious and beyond my understanding.”

“You believe in that superstitious nonsense?” Caldwell asked.

“I wish that I could ignore the evidence that there is more to it than mere superstition,” Archimedes said. “I’m already involved far more than I should be, but please do not take action until I’ve determined the consequences.”

Four of the current Guardians plus Ozker gathered in the Circle chamber.

Archimedes fumed and was unwilling to sit down just yet. “I’ve managed to hide your involvement, Chixiksi, but you’ve put all of us into an awkward position.”

“I realize that I overstepped my authority by trying to find a way to help her,” Chixiksi said. “It would have been simpler if I could act only as myself, or if Sarah had taken matters completely into her own hands before I could stop her.”

“What is this about?” Kain asked.

Archimedes sat down. “Lailah, formerly of Valeholm, ran away from her arranged marriage in Letestadt and ended up in Nadzeya.” 

“I imagine that the Melchiahim who brought her to me instead of the proper authorities thought that I would handle it discretely,” Chixiksi said. “A vampire bringing a human into the city might have faced problems.”

“I am well-equipped to handling things discretely and yet you didn’t tell me immediately,” Archimedes said. “The chancellors of Letestadt were willing to march on Valeholm when they suspected that Lailah had gone there. That is why I involved myself at all and they’ll quickly figure out where to direct their energies next. Their laws don’t recognize Lailah’s right to make her own choices, and any help given to her would disrupt the peace between Letestadt and whoever provides that help… Unless they can be convinced that their law stopped applying to her when she went outside of the wall.”

“The Hylden leadership would be unconcerned with her plight and hand her over despite her being raped; an animal that talks is still an animal,” Chixiksi said. “I don’t see how you expect the other races to view humans as people when they don’t even treat each other that way.”

“Which is why, despite the way I feel about it, she needs to go back to Letestadt before anyone else hears about it. Aschedorf would have relented as well and put it out of their minds.” Archimedes held up a hand to signal that he wasn’t done, and his face twisted into a mask of misery. “I’ve met her, Keturah, and I know how Catullus feels about her. She is one person and the price is too great.”

Keturah stared at Archimedes for a moment in shock. Then she buried her face in her talons and began sobbing quietly.

“It’s a shame how easily I could just solve all of your problems with that damn city,” Kain said. “It would require stepping back into the role of a tyrant.”

Archimedes pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s wrong how tempting that is.”

“That’s not something to joke about, Kain,” Ozker said.

Archimedes shook his head. “I would like to see them forcibly ripped out, but breaking the truce with Letestadt will also cause uprisings in Aschedorf, Weirstein, Provance, and even Valeholm.”


	8. Chapter 8

“There is another concern, and I apologize for being silent about it for so long,” Archimedes said. “Kain, do you still interrogate the parasite?”

“Occasionally, when the mood strikes me,” Kain said. “It hasn’t said anything useful in years.”

“There is a superstition that I’ve been keeping an eye on, but it’s beginning to truly worry me,” Archimedes said. “She’s called Lady Fortuna or Fortuna of the Stars. I would ask the squid myself, but I imagine that it would use my own assumptions to spin its lies.”

“This is the first I’ve heard of it.” Kain grimly departed for his office, where he still kept a piece of the squid in a bottle on his desk. He was irritated that Archimedes had kept him ignorant, though he accepted the usefulness of it now.

The three eyeballs facing the door turned towards Kain, in contrast to its usual indifference of just using one. It laughed darkly. “So it has finally come to your notice. That silent echo of memory is meaningless now, but there will come a day when you become grateful for the shell to nurture my rebirth.”

“What a perverse notion.” Kain strode forward and loomed over the bottle. “Not only that you would be remade, but to come back as a woman.”

The squid squirmed suggestively. “A more pleasing visage for those who will be able to see me. Mine is a necessary function, and it is your folly to try and obliterate me.”

Kain grimaced. “My own purpose didn’t stop you from plotting my death.”

“A purpose that you neglected for so long that the world may never recover,” the squid said. “Even when you discover the truth of my function for yourself, you will hesitate and drag the world into ruin once more.”

Kain frowned. The parasite was not given to restraint when berating him, but it was going after his vulnerable points with an uncommon pique of wrath. “Why do you strive to be worshipped? I once posed as a god, but now that I am doing what I am meant to, I find that I feel satisfied without praise.”

The squid rolled its eyes. “Their adoration is meaningless. It is their service I desire. Mortals extending my reach so that none may escape the turning of the Wheel. Even you must return eventually. Eternity will continue to weigh on you beyond your ability to endure it.”

“I can endure far more than you realize.” Kain turned to leave. “This has been as pleasant as always, abomination.”

Kain returned to the Circle chamber and relayed what he learned to Archimedes. The other two had left already.

“That was confusing and unexpected,” Archimedes commented dryly. “I’m concerned because there were events associated with those shrines already. Believing in luck, events aligning without a force causing it, is contrary to my nature.”

Kain considered. “What sort of events?”

“Sarah was in Letestadt about three years ago, and she saved the life of someone who was stealing offerings. Laila made an offering at the start of the chain of events brought her to Nadzeya, and Sarah just happened to see her first despite the aim being Chixiksi,” Archimedes said. “Trying to make more connections is proving difficult, but I get the sense that it’s not just coincidence.”

“Do I really want to know why Sarah was skulking about Letestadt?” Kain asked.

“She was interested in the Fortuna shrine. She had stopped living in Ashedorf by the time they started appearing there and they’re not as well maintained,” Archimedes said. “As curious as I am about what might happen, I’m glad that she doesn’t have much opportunity to be near those shrines.”

Kain frowned. “I don’t think that matters. She was immediately drawn to your predecessor’s reincarnation… unless the shrines existed back then.”

“They didn’t, at least not in Aschedorf at the time. There is also an old goddess on Sarah’s world named Fortuna, Tyche, or simply Lady Luck, and one of her symbols is an eight-spoked wheel. So far, the ball and the blindfold seem to be the only symbols associated with the shrines here. But we might be dealing with two squids, considering how that alien breaks Destiny.” Archimedes was uncomfortable mentioning that the Wikipedia article about Rota Fortunae referenced Kain’s story, though it was barely a sentence.

“Can we break the loop that Sarah is part of? Or more importantly, can we rely on the original to carry out her role better than a clone?” Kain asked.

“I will consider this to the best of my abilities,” Archimedes said. “The answer might be to clone her while reserving the original for specific direction of her pandemonium.”

“You once accused me of having feelings for her, and I do hesitate to treat her as disposable, but perhaps the trouble lies with you,” Kain said.

Archimedes scowled. “I hate her properly after what she did. That her main purpose now is something that I agree with is the only reason she’s not inert.”

Kain stared at the ground thoughtfully. “Does Sarah’s effect on humans tend to be anything less than awesome or catastrophic?”

“The worst of their bizarre luck happens when Sarah acts directly, but we’ve never taken someone away from her before she was done with them,” Archimedes said. “She’s impulsive more than inexplicable, but I would not put money on the Lailah situation going smoothly even though Chixiksi said he separated them.” 

While Kain and Archimedes were talking, the other two were delivering terrible news. Chixiksi explained to Lailah, with visible regret, that he wasn’t allowed to help her in ways that couldn’t be hidden, and that he had few ideas on what else to do. Lailah burst into tears and Chixiksi considered forcing a sedative on her. Keturah also told Catullus the full story, and he punched a wall before flying onto the roof to brood. Archimedes had been divided on telling Catullus. He gave Keturah the reasons (all of them personal) and let her make the decision.

In Letestadt, there was a small statue to represent Fortuna. A strip of blue cloth covered the Lady’s eyes, and she extended an empty hand. That hand was supposed to be holding a ball, but it had gone missing soon after the statue was erected. A random girl was sent to the shrine by her parents to make an offering of a yellow apple, and she decided that it would fit in the statue’s hand.


	9. Chapter 9

Teleportation was hard on the body, especially for someone who couldn’t do it themselves. Keturah could certainly manage to teleport Lailah without triggering a miscarriage, but it was deemed an unnecessary risk.

The sun-cloak hid her tears as well as her body, but it didn’t hide Lailah’s flinch as she saw that the vampires that brought her to Nedzaya were the ones who were going to return her.

Ozker noticed. He set the basket of supplies on the wagon; food, water, and medicine to ease the human’s journey, and then he turned to her. “They will not harm you.”

“We’ll even watch what we say,” the Dumahim trader said. “Some of our jokes are disturbing for humans, but we’ve had to develop a good sense of which ones we shouldn’t tell around your kind.”

“Does that include the monthly one?” Lailah asked timidly.

“That one came from our human business partners,” the Dumahim admitted.

“We will not speak of that story,” the Turelim said.

They were on the road for ten minutes before Lailah said, “I would prefer if you found something to talk about, even it reveals a low opinion of humans.”

The Dumahim kicked a rock out from under the path of the wagon’s wheel. “The traders we deal with have our respect.”

The Turelim inclined her head, her harness not allowing her to turn. “They would make good vampires if they didn’t love their ale so much. It is a shame that an inebriate’s blood is simply bitter instead of allowing us to enjoy the effects that they overly value.”

“I guess you two aren’t wild,” Lailah said.

“Do you mean feral? They are deranged and we grant them oblivion,” the Dumahim said. 

“Not feral.” Lailah tried to remember. “Predators that can think. Ones that take a dim view of mortals and would attack a human.”

“I do have fond memories of stalking and killing my meals,” the Dumahim said. “I also remember being overwhelmed and run-through. We cannot destroy the humans without destroying ourselves while they have no such restriction. The truce is galling, but I recognize the wisdom in it.”

“I served as a nanny for a few years. They’re cute when they’re young,” the Turelim said.

Lailah frowned. “I can’t imagine parents trusting a vampire with their child.”

“He was a Guardian and my orders to keep him safe came directly from Kain,” the Turelim said. “I most often had to protect him from himself.”

“Who’s Kain?” Lailah asked.

The vampires quickly recovered from their shock and began explaining, though that wandered into a touchy subject.

“Kain was barely present, and when Turel disappeared we became lost.” She folded her ears down briefly in a gesture of sorrow. “Dumah was impaled and your clan was equally without direction. Why did no one release him?”

“Better to be dead than live with the shame of it,” the Dumahim said. “Only his sire or his brothers could have given him absolution.”

The trio noticed a dark shape descending from the sky. A vempari landed on the road in front of them and approached the wagon. He said, “Lailah, I heard what happened. It’s all my fault and I’d like to try to apologize.”

Lailah leapt from the wagon and rushed towards Catullus. When she was close enough, she began beating him with her fists. “Idiot! What makes you think an apology is good enough?”

Catullus flinched under the blows, but didn’t try to properly defend himself. “I’m willing to do anything to help you.”

“You can’t!” Lailah’s fists faltered, and she collapsed against Catullus in a fit of sobs. “There’s nothing that anyone can do, not without more people being hurt.”

Catullus brought his talons up to comfort and support Lailah. He’d often dreamed of having her in his arms, but not like this.

The Turelim had unhooked herself from the wagon. She stood on her hind legs, her ears fully extended. “There are humans approaching on horseback. Headache is with them, and someone he’s calling Chancellor.”

“My husband is a chancellor,” Lailah said.

“And Headache is Hema’s nickname for my brother,” Catullus said. “He might have been able to do something.”

“That other Guardian said that he wasn’t allowed to get the Circle involved with this,” Lailah said.

“Archimedes is the Time Guardian, but he’s also good at tricking people into doing what he wants,” Catullus said.

It was the first time Archimedes rode a horse, and he hated how much of his attention the skittish animal demanded. He’d managed to prevent it from trying to throw him off a dozen times already, but some were close calls. He smiled placidly though it had already embarrassed him twice with unavoidable antics. He would not have been in a forgiving mood if he hadn’t managed to stay in the saddle, even with the stablemaster apologizing that it was the tamest one available and might get spooked enough at having a novice on its back to unseat him.

He was travelling with Chancellor Caldwell, two of his subordinate chancellors, and a few warriors. Archimedes’ explanation of what had happened to Lailah glossed over the States Guardian’s involvement, instead sticking to how vampires had smuggled her by accident and the need to have kept her hidden from the Hylden while they figured out what to do.

“Hylden. Trade with them is useful but I dislike that they allow vampires to live within their borders,” Caldwell said.

Archimedes said. “You really should try to become allies with one or both of the other mortal races.”

“Don’t try to dictate policy to me. Letestadt has stood while other humans were forced into slavery to the vampires,” Caldwell said.

“The emperor of the vampires felt that pockets of self-governing humans would provide amusement. It’s fortunate that your ancestors did not disappoint him too badly,” Archimedes said. “It is also fortunate that he is reformed now and willing to let mortals live as they wish, as long as they don’t interfere with his kind.”

“Is this what you meant by it not ending well if we tried to take my wife back by force?” Warrick asked.

“Relations between the Hylden and their resident vampires are tense, but humans are considered a lesser threat,” Archimedes said. “The Hylden had already driven their enemies to extinction once. I thank you for allowing me to handle this diplomatically.”

They rounded a bend in the road and Archimedes stared at his brother hugging Lailah. As if the horse sensed his distraction, it reared and caused him to land like a sack of potatoes. He rolled away from the beast’s hooves and lay in the dirt for a moment. While some air had been knocked from his lungs, he exploited the pretense that it was worse than it was to figure out what Catullus was up to.


	10. Chapter 10

“Are you injured, Timestreamer?” Caldwell asked.

Archimedes shook his head as he stood. He really would have liked another minute.

“What is that thing doing with my wife?” Warrick asked.

“I’ll ask him.” Archimedes dusted himself off and strode forward.

Catullus released Lailah and asked, “What is the plan?”

Archimedes sighed, his face showing little of the pain he wanted to convey. He spoke in vempari. “Sacrifice her.”

Catullus did show his anger, though he kept himself from attacking. “Do something. This is not right.”

“I know.” Archimedes’ eyes glowed. “Too unstable, big risk you die for nothing.”

Catullus murmured in English, “Is your husband here?”

“The one in green,” Lailah said.

Catullus’ eyes flicked to the man in question, but Archimedes said, “Hema will restrain you if I ask, and I have to. I will act, but mostly to put the full burden of consequence on you two. Last chance to back down.”

Hema bared her fangs at the presumption, but she knew that he could bring the authority of the Circle on her.

“It can’t be worse than what I already face,” Lailah said.

“If Catullus fails, he will be dead and your suffering will be worse,” Archimedes said. “The chances of reaching the good outcome are slim.” 

Lailah bowed her head, and Catullus asked, “What do you need me to do?”

“Don’t be impulsive and try not to die,” Archimedes said. “I’m planning to say things that will embarrass and hurt you. I don’t recommend praying, but hope that humiliation is the worst that happens.”

As Archimedes walked back to the chancellors and their men, he forced himself to smile as if he found the situation ridiculous. “Vempari have been in Valeholm for a bit less than two decades, but that one spent the first half of his life in Aschedorf, around almost no one but humans, and it’s made him a bit funny. Any other of his kind would be reluctant to give your wife back because of cultural differences, but he’s in love with her.”

Some of the men snickered, but Warrick didn’t find it funny. “That creature wants to sleep with my wife?”

“A normal vempari controls his lust, and the rest of them have no interest in humans, but yes. He’s maddened enough that he’s willing to fight about it,” Archimedes said.

Warrick dismounted and drew his sword. “Vile creature. I’ll cut him down and be done with it.”

“That would be murder under the rules of Valeholm,” Archimedes said. “Actually Aschedorf as well since they consider him human for legal purposes. Or would you rather treat him like a vampire and make yourself into legitimate prey?”

Warrick paused. “If he wants a fight, then we’ll duel. He looks unarmed and I won’t stoop to fisticuffs. Will someone lend him a sword?”

The men dismounted, unwilling to stay on their horses when it meant not getting close to something interesting. Caldwell drew his sword and asked, “Does he know how to duel?”

“I think it would be wise to give him instructions on the etiquette,” Archimedes said.

Caldwell explained the most important rules of dueling. Catullus then accepted the sword and gave it a few experimental swings. It was longer than what he was used to, but the narrow blade gave it a manageable weight. It was then time to face his opponent. He had never killed before, but Catullus had been prepared to ambush the man at the expense of his own life, and now he was obligated by the rules to kill him or die trying.

Warrick dropped into a stance and sneered at Catullus’ serene posture. “Well? Aren’t you ready to die?”

“I am ready to fight,” Catullus said. “Come at me.”

Warrick charged, and Catullus shifted his weight to aid the parry. Again Warrick attacked, and Catullus answered it with an implacable calm. When not in the middle of a clash, Catullus returned to a stance more suited to a librarian than a warrior. Still Warrick drew first blood when he dragged his sword through Catullus’ primaries and severed a pinfeather along with the rest. 

The smell of blood caused Hema to whisper a question at her partner, and he grunted back. They were both in control of their thirst enough to stay.

Vempari usually became only annoyed when their wings were damaged, even when it grounded them, but Catullus had enough Razielim influence that he was insulted. He pretended to stumble, drawing Warrick in, and then punched him in the face with his damaged wing. Catullus didn’t hear the murmurs of surprise from the humans that didn’t know that his wound was physically painless despite how much it bled.

Warrick clutched at his bleeding nose for a moment, and then increased the ferocity of his attacks. Catullus dropped into a more responsive stance and matched him. Then Catullus found an opening and drove his sword through Warrick’s right shoulder, making him barely able to keep a grip on his blade, much less use it.

Catullus stepped in close and spoke softly. “This isn’t about jealousy. This is about how you hurt Lailah enough that she asked a diety for help. I would have let her stay with you if I could approve of the way you were treating her.”

“Please don’t kill me,” Warrick whimpered. “You can have her, just please don’t kill me.”

“You’re beaten, die like a man,” Caldwell said.

Catullus stepped back, slowly drawing the sword out of Warrick’s shoulder. He considered whether the man deserved a quick death or to live in disgrace. Catullus then decided that his adversary deserved suffering that he wasn’t willing to inflict, and he drove the sword through the man’s heart.

Catullus then cleaned the sword on the corpse’s shirt and offered it back to Caldwell. “Thank you. It is a fine weapon.”

Caldwell took the sword and frowned. “I just realized the implications of you winning this fight. Poor girl is yours now.”

“We will go back to Valeholm, or somewhere else where she can choose to reject me. She may remain a widow, or seek out someone else who is worthy of her,” Catullus said. “I am appalled that your laws allow one person to treat someone else like they aren’t a person.”

Caldwell frowned. “He bedded her like a person. It’s not like he chained her up naked in his courtyard like a dog. Why were you willing to fight for her just to lose her?”

Archimedes interrupted, “I can arrange for you two to have a conversation when he’s not covered in his own blood.”


	11. Chapter 11

There was a delay in Catullus and Lailah leaving because Hema tried to buy Warrick’s body from Caldwell. Even offering to let him keep the head was refused, and he made his own men load the body onto Warrick’s horse instead of letting the vampires lend their greater strength in apology for the offense. Archimedes said that his abode was closer than Valeholm and offered to let Catullus and Lailah stay until they were restored enough to make the rest of the journey. The horse that Archimedes rode in on was led away with an empty saddle, and that Lailah wouldn’t have to ride it was a small bonus to his feeling of relief.

Her partner harnessed Hema to the wagon as the Letestadt delegation rode out of sight. Lailah sat sideways on the driver’s bench while Archimedes and Catullus settled into the cargo area.

“Are yellow eyes more resistant to bleaching than brown ones?” Catullus asked.

Archimedes exhaustedly shook his head. He was aware that his irises were turning gray. “I have been overtaxing my powers, and today was just another problem linked to a number of other ones. There’s just too much to pay attention to.”

“Is there anything that I can do to help?” Catullus asked.

“Chancellor Caldwell, the man who loaned you the sword, is the Nature Guardian’s father,” Archimedes said. “That he’s interested in speaking to you is useful. One of the tactics I’m using as a pretense to get time alone with Birney is that I need to teach him how to interact with the other races.”

“He sounds just like them,” Lailah told Catullus. “Are you sure he’s not going to stab you in the back?”

“Better me than someone who isn’t expecting it. Since he told me about his plans for me, it seems like I get hurt in some way every time we’re together.” Catullus stretched his clipped wing pointedly. Archimedes had yanked out the bloodfeather for him, but the rest of the wing was sticky and matted. It didn’t occur to any mortal to be surprised that one of the vampires didn’t offer to give him a tongue-bath.

“Telling you was your mother’s choice and getting involved was your idea. If I had been more willing to see you hurting, I would have had earlier chances to stop you. Inviting me to the camping trip was your idea too and I tried to get those girls to change the subject,” Archimedes said. “Lailah, I can’t examine the Destiny of everyone who crosses my path, but I do feel bad about assuming that a little embarrassment was the end of it. It’s a miracle that you’re free without it causing a war.”

“Is anything else bad going to happen to me?” Lailah asked.

“You ran afoul of our Aunt. She comes from another world and she breaks the Destinies that the parasite tries to inflict on people.” Archimedes decided that he was done with trying to hide aspects of it from Catullus. “Usually the effect is positive, but I’m beginning to suspect that something akin to the Wheel is using her as a conduit to exert its own influence. I will check when I have the strength, but I imagine that your future is as uncertain as anyone else’s who ran into her. We may have to take away what little freedom she has left.”

“Please do,” Hema growled. “Sarah intends to destroy the vampires.”

The Dumahim bit his cheek so he could spit.

“But she is a vampire,” Lailah said. “Does Ozker know?”

“It’s cultural not literal,” Archimedes said. “It’s similar to what Catullus is doing, but hard to resist and less respectful.”

“And yet vampires flock to her,” the Dumahim growled.

“Assassinating her won’t protect you. The ideas will continue to spread,” Archimedes said. “If it’s any comfort, it’s not just vampires. She’s infected every race.”

“Do you remember what she did to me, Headache?” Hema asked.

“I recall that she enhanced your telekinetic powers,” Archimedes said.

“You and Eaglet decided to run into a pond. Sarah came looking for us because you refused to come out even though you were late for dinner. I expected punishment, but she simply laughed and took pity on me. She was the one who dragged you from the pond that day, but then she gave me the ability to do it myself.”

“I would think that it’s a weird thing to get upset about if you didn’t just remind me of my parents. She seems nice,” Lailah said. “Some things should go away, and it sounds like a good thing that Sarah was freed from the rule of respecting what communities want.”

“Is that what she told you?” Archimedes demanded.

“She told me that it was a Circle rule and she wasn’t part of the Circle anymore,” Lailah said.

“She is forbidden from talking to vampires that don’t want to talk to her, and she must warn them what she will do to them. As for everyone else…” Archimedes sagged as his anger gave way to exhaustion. “I’ll ask Chixiksi if she’s following the spirit instead of the letter. I’m still angry about a terrible mistake she made and if she’s trying to change any other cultures, I will lose my temper.”

“I’m confused,” Lailah said. “You’re angry at Sarah for doing the same thing as Catullus? He also said that you trick people into doing what you want, which sounds like you’re breaking the rules.”

“There are different rules for different people. I answer to Time above the Circle, and my duty not only requires me to do things in secret that none of us can do in the open, but also things that are not moral if I was acting as a person rather than my function. Catullus is acting under guidance and lacks any real power to force someone to do what he wants,” Archimedes said. “The problem with Sarah is that she rarely remembers to think about what her victim wants or whether her sense of what is good is the right one.”

Lailah laid a hand on her abdomen. “I admitted to Chixiksi that I wished this child would die. He explained a little bit about making it happen, their reasons for murdering a child. They made sense, but it seems wrong. Then he said that it was my choice and didn’t try to tell me which one to make.”

“I don’t know as much as I should about that, but they put great consideration into the rules that they made for themselves,” Archimedes said. “Would you force your own values onto someone who doesn’t agree with them?”

Lailah frowned. “I wish I could have done it to my late husband.”

“Because he was doing it to you. If my burden wasn’t already too heavy, I would help to change the rule that hurt you. I will at least look into it if I get an opportunity,” Archimedes said. “The reason that some vampires hate Sarah is because they like being… the way they are. Her values are more aligned with mortals and she lacks what the vampires in the Circle consider important. She had a rare moment of realizing that they were unhappy with the way she was influencing them. It led her to trying to be like a real vampire and it’s a good thing that she wasn’t capable of it.”

“You’re happy about that?” the Dumahim growled.

“I’m not privy to exactly why, but the vampires that understand the full situation are also relieved," Archimedes said.


	12. Chapter 12

It was close to sunset when they reached Aschedorf, but they were down the street from Archimedes’ apartment when the wagon jolted to a stop. “Kain’s claws,” Hema growled.

Catullus looked to see what the problem was and gasped, “Mom?”

Keturah barely waited a moment before striding to meet the wagon. Her wings were flared in anger. “What have you done?”

Catullus stood and jumped down from the wagon, ashamedly keeping his damaged wing folded in hope that she wouldn’t notice. “It’s fine now.”

Keturah frowned and turned to Archimedes who was struggling to stand. “What about you saying that the price was too great?”

Archimedes lost his balance as he tried to climb from the wagon, and luckily Catullus was able to catch him. Catullus frowned at how slender his brother was. “Mom, please, we’ve been through a lot. Could you provide hospitality to Lailah?”

Keturah helped Lailah down from the wagon, but frowned at her boys. “You two are a mess and I want an explanation.”

Archimedes trembled at the sound of the mom-voice despite how long he had been her peer. It wasn’t fair and he mastered himself enough to fight dirty right back. “I don’t gamble for real stakes when I can’t load the dice, but this fool rushed in where angels fear to tread.”

The part about fools and angels related to a day in their childhood when they were under their Aunt’s care instead of their nanny. A boy was bullying Catullus, but Sarah didn’t immediately step in because she wanted to give him a chance to try and fight his own battle. It resulted in the bully bloodying Archimedes’ nose. Keturah tried to chastise Archimedes for being reckless enough to get hurt, but Sarah thought it was funny to use the phrase to shrug off his actions.

Keturah glared at them, but then sighed. “You can tell me about it after you get cleaned up.”

While they were walking to the apartment, Archimedes stumbled and would have collapsed if he hadn’t been using his brother for support. Catullus picked him up easily as Archimedes lost consciousness. Catullus turned to his mom and said, “He said he had overtaxed his powers, and he’s too thin.”

“He told me that he would get some rest. That’s the only way he’ll recover,” Keturah snapped. “As for what his robe hid, I'll have Ozker check on him.”

“Madam, it’s my fault as well,” Lailah said. “I was stupid and desperate and…”

“You may call me Keturah. I dislike that you became snared by whatever Fortuna is, but remaining angry will serve no purpose. I too had disregarded warnings of that nature. Hopefully you are out of that thing’s grasp.”

“I wish we were the same race. Not only would this have not happened, but…” Lailah trembled. “You’re a good person, Catullus. I don’t think I’d find anyone else like you.”

Keturah’s bedroom still had a bed, and she pulled fresh blankets out of the chest. “I don’t know if you’re ready to sleep, or if you need something to eat first?”

“I just don’t want to be alone,” Lailah said. “When we were camping, I saw that your kind bathe together and they invited the humans to join them. If the idea doesn’t offend you…”

“I don’t mind. Once my son has gotten the blood out of his feathers, I’ll ask if we can join him,” Keturah said. “Unless you would rather be alone with him?”

Lailah shook her head. “I’d like to learn more about your culture. I’m not sure if I can love him back, but I would like to give it a chance if it would be allowed.”

“Have you met Ozker?” Keturah asked.

“Yes, and I guess I met… Chixiksi is his husband? Ozker told me that his marriage was transgressive,” Lailah said. “Bahira and Arlet seemed to think that it was cute that Catullus loved me, but I’m not sure if they thought it would go anywhere.”

“Pursuing Catullus would be problematic, but I have nothing personal against it as long as you try not to hurt him,” Keturah said. “That said, I think I should discourage this. Changing cultures does not mean that everyone will see past your appearance.”

“I want to take it slow,” Lailah said.

As they got into the bath, Keturah grabbed her son’s wing to get a better look at the damage. “Are you ready to tell me what stupidity caused this?”

“They have a rule in Letestadt that men can duel over a woman and she has to go with the winner,” Catullus said. “I am so glad that I made one of their leaders, actually Birney’s father, curious about the rules I wanted to follow instead. Archimedes said that he’d arrange the meeting.”

“Caldwell is just as bad as the one you killed,” Lailah spat. “I feel sorry for anyone who has to get near him.”

Keturah frowned in worry at Catallus. He looked away and said, “It was to the death. Considering that Archimedes had to keep us both from murdering the other… He wanted me to just walk away, warned me that I might die for nothing, but win or lose, that way no one else would get hurt.”

Keturah sat in stony silence for a moment. “I’m angry and I’m trying to decide if you did the right thing. You have responsibilities beyond one person, and I would have chosen differently in your place.”

“I don’t want to argue with you about it.” Catullus turned to Lailah. “My mother follows carponus e donadi, the concept of duty and selflessness, more strongly than myself, as does Archimedes. It might be for the best considering the weight of their responsibilities, but I’m not sure that it’s good for ordinary people. Part of preparing me for my purpose made me aware of that enough to examine it.”

The three bathers then had a discussion about carponus e donadi. Catullus and Keturah politely disagreed on some points, not all of them about responsibilities that couldn’t be passed on. The discussion wandered to Janos and how he could have lightened his own burden simply by preparing Vorador to act as a failsafe.

“Wait, so when you asked Vorador to leave you alone and he listened, it was because of your father?” Lailah asked.

“I do not want to test him, but he might be inclined to treat me with a bit more regard than other vempari,” Catullus said.


	13. Chapter 13

There were times when Archimedes knew that he was asleep and not dreaming. He hated it because it wasn’t restful. His body would lay inert for long enough that it thought he had slept, but then he had to drag himself through the motions of being awake until it decided that it was time to sleep again.

A woman stood before him. She had creamy skin, blonde hair, and light grey wings. She wore a blindfold and carried a ball, just like the statues of Fortuna, though the statues didn’t have wings. The statue’s blindfold was changed often by the shrine attendants, different colors chosen at random, and the one the woman was wearing was green. She removed it to reveal that her eyes were blue. “Hello, little Coyote.”

“What do you want?” Archimedes asked.

“Seeing you worry yourself into exhaustion is not fun.” She held out her ball, inviting him to take it. “Do you recognize this?”

Archimedes took it and gasped in fear. “Oh no.”

“Fallen from my hand, picked up by someone who assumed it was a lost child’s toy, carved into unrecognizability by an apprentice, sold in a shop, given to another child.” She smiled. “I am not angry. It is just a bit of wood and you do not need to take it away from him when he loves it so much. That they keep replacing it with golden apples is entertaining. I wish that you would see the humor in it.”

“Are you like that parasite?” Archimedes asked.

“I am merely a representation of Lady Luck. Or perhaps a blithe spirit. More kindred to you, or perhaps more accurately your Puckish predecessor, than the leech attached to the Wheel. I would like to see you destroy the parasite, but it is otherwise uninteresting to me. That the Elder Fraud tried to convince Kain that the Fortuna shrines belong to it was almost boring.”

Archimedes scowled. “You’re messing with me for fun.”

“Yes. That does mean that whether you shun me or act in my name makes no difference in what sort of luck I give you. You are at the mercy of my capricious whim.” She held out another thing for him to take. “Consider this a symbol of my blessing. You might find physical representations to remind you, they may break or become lost, but the approval will remain.”

Archimedes took the brass contraption. He had learned a bit about astrology just as a curious interest, and he recognized it as a device for measuring the stars and planets. “Taking your ball back from Birney, refusing this, it won’t matter, will it.”

“I will be disappointed, but no, it will not matter,” she said. “I do have one thing that I ask of you, a favor repaid with things turning in your favor.”

Archimedes shuddered in fear and revulsion. “I’m listening.”

“Talk to the taliator. Things will start looking up when you do,” she said.

“Someone who cuts? How will I know who that is?” Archimedes asked.

“A tailor who came from a village created by a tailor.” Fortuna smiled. “It will be so much fun when you get the answer to this riddle.”

“Is fun all that’s in it for you?” Archimedes asked. “What does the taliator mean to you?”

“Things usually work out for a blithe spirit, and two playthings together are more than twice the fun,” she said. “Your brother takes too much after his father to catch much of a break despite my efforts, and the angel of the night won’t be much help. I want to let you be around Catullus without something terrible happening. A quiet moment to rest so that the fun itself doesn’t become tedious.”

Archimedes frowned. “Are you the sort to take care of her playthings, Tyche?”

“I’m the type to get distracted and lose them,” she said. “I do not enjoy seeing them broken, though that sometimes happens if I play too rough. One suffering angel will be repaired, the other will break in a way that can’t be fixed if I am not careful. I want to be delicate if I must touch him at all.”

“Don’t threaten my family,” Archimedes said. “I’ll play with you, I’ll find the taliator, but leave Catullus alone.”

Archimedes awoke with perfect memory of his vision. He knew that it would become distorted and fade quickly, so he dove for the notebook he kept prepared on his nightstand.

Ozker came into the room, drawn by the noise. Archimedes waved him away impatiently and resumed writing. Ozker left, Keturah came to stand in the doorway, but she didn’t say anything.

Finally Archimedes finished writing and collapsed back onto his pillow. “I had a prophetic dream. Or a true dream at least. I needed to get it down before I lost it.”

“You need to rest,” Keturah said.

Archimedes sighed. “I’m worn out, but trying to go back to sleep immediately will do me no good. I need to move around a bit and maybe I can solve this riddle.”

Keturah strode forward and snatched the notebook from him. “If you’re going to get out of bed, come get something to eat. We’re talking about hiring someone to make sure you take better care of yourself.”

Archimedes frowned at the large bowl of stew. “I think you forgot that I’m a vegetarian.”

“I don’t care. You’re malnourished and I want you to eat as much as you can without getting a stomachache,” Ozker growled.

Archimedes obediently started spooning the stew into his mouth. The mom-voice was motivating, but not as much as the growl from an irritated predator. When his stomach told him to slow down, Archimedes asked, “Could I have my notebook back? I was visited by Fortuna and she’s going to go after Catullus unless I solve her riddle and find a tailor from a village created by a tailor. I don’t think that there’s anything like that around here, but maybe I can get someone to ask around the clothiers.”

Keturah scowled and tightened her grip on the notebook, but Ozker adopted a thoughtful expression and asked, “May I?”

Archimedes nodded as he swallowed. “Go ahead. I’m sure I got it down accurately, but she said that you weren’t going to be much help.”

Ozker read the interaction, read again, and snorted. “I doubt that she was talking about me, and she never said that you had to solve the riddle. She said it would be fun when you got the answer, but I don’t think it will be fun for you. I’m not telling you who the taliator is until you rebuild your fat reserves.”

“But Tyche threatened Catullus,” Archimedes said.

Ozker shook his head. “She called herself a blithe spirit and some of these sentences seem like a child that needs sturdy toys. Regain your strength, you’ll need it.”


	14. Chapter 14

When Archimedes went into the bath, Keturah confronted Ozker. “You’re not seriously going to help him get involved with this.”

“He is already involved.” Ozker held out the notebook. “Read this and tell me what you think.”

“I can’t read English very well.” After Ozker read to her, Keturah frowned. “That does sound like a child, one with just enough self-awareness to understand why she shouldn’t break her toys. I still don’t approve of Archimedes offering himself. It almost sounds like she’ll leave him alone if…” She sagged.

“If he continues to suffer? Perhaps he could just try to be as uninteresting as possible, but I doubt he’d be able to. People mixed up with Fortuna have already been thrown in his path,” Ozker said. “Besides, not telling him who the taliator is doesn’t mean he won’t speak to her.”

“Tell me,” Keturah said.

“The Lady means Sarah Taylor from Taylorsville Ohio. She’s a descendant of the founder,” Ozker said. “I understand if Archimedes wants to hold onto his anger forever, but he might need her help.”

Keturah gave a single half-flap of her wings but was otherwise stock-still. “I can’t just watch this happen. I can’t… I…”

Ozker cautiously took her into an embrace and started smoothing her wings in comfort. “You can try to fight, but do you really want to see if the child has tantrums? At least she seems indifferent instead of malicious.”

A few short, bark-like laughs escaped Keturah’s mouth before she began shaking with something in-between giggles and sobs.

Later, after Keturah had calmed somewhat, everyone gathered in the living area. Catullus and Archimedes sat next to each other on the couch, Keturah and Laila in a pair of chairs, and Ozker in another chair across from them.

Ozker was still looking at the notebook. “There are other riddles here. I hope you’ll forgive me for my interest in comparative theology.”

“That is weird,” Archimedes said. “Potentially useful, but weird.”

“I would have trained for the priesthood instead of medicine if we weren’t short on healers. I was almost done with my training when the war ended, and many who were already healers had to find other occupations even before we realized that they were completely unneeded. Perhaps you can understand why I became so disillusioned. After I was imprisoned for heresy… by the time I met Sarah, I was desperate for anything new, and she knew a little about so many faiths.”

“If the angel of the night isn’t you, who is it?” Keturah asked.

“That one will take some research. If it didn’t quite fit the main riddle, I would have thought that the Lady wanted Archimedes to find one of the three Moirai. Considering her playful demeanor and dislike of the squid, I highly doubt that she would direct him to talk to someone like Atropos,” Ozker said. “About the angel, my first thought seems silly and the second is hard to interpret, so I want to check the third one.”

“Don’t dismiss a thought simply because it’s silly,” Archimedes said.

“I’m not. What interests me is that she mentioned golden apples,” Ozker said. “Like Tyche, Eris was a Greek goddess, also known as Discordia, and a golden apple was her symbol. There were no temples, but she was associated with strife and was said to have caused the Trojan war.”

“How is that supposed to be funny?” Archimedes asked.

“Eris was later reimagined more as a mischievous troublemaker, or even the innocent victim of a misunderstanding, and became the patron of Discordianism, one of the parody religions. There are many more, such as the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and the Church of the Invisible Pink Unicorn,” Ozker said. “I don’t know much about them because I’m afraid to do more than skim after I got a little too interested.”

“Are you joking?” Archimedes asked. 

Ozker shook his head. “They are considered legitimate faiths. America was founded with the idea that people should have the freedom to choose their religion. They meant sects of Christianity, but the wording of the law meant any religion, including the other two religions that Christianity doesn’t get along with despite worshipping the same god. Pastafarianism came about in direct opposition to the Christians trying to impose their beliefs on others. There are even people who officially registered their religion as Jedi.”

“I’ve gotten too used to not having Looking-Glass moments and that was a bad one,” Archimedes said. “What have I gotten myself into?”

“I apologize. That was weird even by Terran standards, so you’re looking for the other expression.” Ozker ignored Keturah’s glare. “Discordiansm actually has something to say about Looking-Glass moments, but I think that perhaps trying to understand what is happening is something that you shouldn’t force. I am willing to help however I can.”

“This might put you in Fortuna’s path, but since you know who the taliator is, maybe you could meet them and see what they know,” Archimedes said.

“That should not be hard,” Ozker said. “Is there anything specific that you want me to say?” 

Archimedes frowned. “Let me think about it. Maybe I don’t want to contaminate our first meeting with a warning that I’m coming.”

“Speaking of people you’ve put in the Lady’s path, how is Radley?” Catullus asked. “I overheard you when you recruited him.”

Archimedes ducked his head in embarrassment. “He was doing well for himself when I checked in last. He managed to get a job as a clerk for Chancellor Mendel.”

“That chancellor actually approaches decency, though he believes in Fortuna and makes frequent offerings,” Laila said. “I guess it’s not too weird that Radley and I haven’t been near each other since leaving Valeholm.”

“How can something be invisible and pink at the same time?” Keturah asked.

“It is an atheistic construct, more of a thought experiment and mockery of theistic religions than a religion in and of itself,” Ozker said. “Or it was until they got accused of not being a real religion because they didn’t have rituals and scriptures, so they created those as well.”

“How can someone believe that the parasite doesn’t exist?” Keturah asked.

“Once it is dead, people will only have our word that we did hear and see it. Some will think that it never existed once all of the evidence that remains could be fabricated from empty belief,” Ozker said. “Terrans have no proof that their gods exist, and at least one has the attribute that his existence can’t be proven. Much like how you can’t prove that an invisible unicorn is pink.”

Catullus quirked his head. “I remember you telling the story about taking us to see the parasite, but I don’t remember actually seeing it. I believe you, but maybe I should take another look.”

“That one wasn’t so bad,” Archimedes said. “You said that Discordiansm could explain Looking-Glass moments?”

“We look at reality through a filter that is shaped by culture. That filter is mistaken for reality. Many find it perplexing that other people, especially those from other cultures, see reality differently,” Ozker said.

Catullus burst out laughing, and Lailah was the next to find the humor in it, but it took Archimedes and Keturah a minute to realize why it was funny.


	15. Chapter 15

Archimedes still tried to work on the Fortuna problem, going through old reports that Radley had given him, but Ozker took them and said, “Allow me. I’m not sure about the Lady’s patience, but there were indications that she’ll wait until you are healthy again.”

“You don’t have authority over me anymore, Uncle,” Archimedes grumbled. When he assumed his Guardianship, he became a peer to his mom and aunt, and was to be treated as an adult offspring. That held especially true once his chronological and physical age caught up with his mind.

Ozker gazed at him with a stern expression. “As your healer, you can refuse to let me treat you, but as a servant to the Circle… I think you would be outvoted if you choose to make an issue of it.”

Archimedes sighed. “If I promise not to seek out the taliator until I’m ready, will you tell me who it is? Or at least a hint of what to expect?”

“Only when you are ready, though I think I can let you judge that for yourself,” Ozker said. “Are you aware of the song, Neon Pegasus?”

“That nonsense?” Archimedes asked. “I can’t remember all of the words, but Sarah said that it sounded like he was getting drunk as he wrote it and didn’t bother to edit the lyrics when he sobered. That it started out interesting is a coincidence, like how different stories tend to have the same elements.”

“They’re called tropes. We found a Terran database that gave them names, and some can be applied to reality,” Ozker said.

Archimedes wasn’t surprised that a culture that was driven by stories would create words to describe them. “Did any of them have a name for what Sarah is? I’m getting tired of some of the epithets I’ve been using for that chaos-bringer.”

“She might be a low-grade reality warper,” Ozker said. “Manic pixie dream girl almost fits. Fish out of water, or perhaps American abroad…”

“Too cute. But if you consider her a low-grade reality warper, I’d hate to see what someone more powerful could do,” Archimedes said.

“Like cause a storm or summon rabbits?” Ozker asked. “As for the chaos, it seems to be realistic and she’s not just reaching out and forcing reality to do her bidding. It’s more like she’s a weirdness magnet.”

Archimedes was aware that the Restorers were suitable for other Pillars than the ones they became bonded to. Nature and Dimension would also have accepted Sarah. Mind’s effect on reality was limited.

Archimedes shook his head. “Are you trying to distract me? What does a silly song have to do with my quest?”

“I’m trying to break the news gently,” Ozker said. “Fish out of water and manic pixy dream girl are two types of blithe spirit. That one is a nonconformist who tends to disrupt people’s lives in interesting ways. A Pollyanna is another type, an eternally-optimistic innocent to bring hope to a place of despair.”

“I’ve been tricked!” Archimedes said.

Ozker shrugged. “The Lady did warn you. Are you unable to think straight when those true dreams happen?”

“If I had been thinking, I would have asked about her connection to Sarah,” Archimedes growled. “Not a literal tailor, but someone capable of damaging the universal fabric when she’s not temporally-aligned with when Kain belongs.”

“That hadn’t occurred to me,” Ozker said. “Her patronymic is Taylor and she grew up in a village named after her ancestor who founded it. Taliator is one of the Latin words that’s exactly the same as vempari, and that’s the root of the name.”

“Even disconnected from the Mind Pillar, Sarah might have enough power to have caused that dream,” Archimedes said.

“I don’t see why,” Ozker said. “There are easier ways to try and get you to talk to her, such as asking nicely. And unless something has changed recently, it isn’t like her to do something like this. At least not intentionally.”

Archimedes scowled and shook his head. “She could have fooled us all. Put up an act of being a good person while underneath being as vile as that thing you once worshipped. She all but outright stated that what we’re seeing is merely a façade.”

“A mask that she cannot take off. I know her intimately and what you see might as well be treated as genuine,” Ozker said. “Most of what she is hiding is the amount of effort it takes to maintain the persona she has built. She’s not even consciously aware of it anymore, and she cannot stop doing it. There is little left of whatever she would have been if she had the freedom be herself.”

“Do you know who that would have been?” Archimedes asked.

Ozker shrugged. “Someone with a full range of passions. Chixiksi and I taught her what anger and hate truly feel like, but any time it seems like she’s experiencing those emotions, it’s part of an unconscious act sparked by irritation and values. Stimulus and action, like a machine. She can feel happiness and sorrow, but those are muted as well.”

“Could she be the force behind Fortuna without realizing it?” Archimedes asked. “I think she’d need access to additional power that somehow we’re not aware of either, unless you feel up to explaining how she can do it with her known talents.”

“Does it matter?” Ozker asked.

“Dealing with her is better than some capricious supernatural entity. If it is just Sarah, there is a chance to focus her mayhem better, or figure out how to keep it from happening,” Archimedes said. “If nothing else, it is a comfort to have options.”

“I didn’t tell her anything about the vision you had,” Ozker said.

Archimedes shook his head. “Even when I talk to her again, I’m not going to tell her. At least not right away.”


	16. Chapter 16

Archimedes was not the only person who could see through time. The Hylden had developed poor copies of his time-windows long ago, but there were also vempari and humans with a pale shadow of his own ability. He had met a few in his life, and they knew what he was just by looking at him. 

Archimedes was wandering the streets of Meridian. His face was not known here, and he wore the fashion of Aschedorf instead of his usual robe. He saw a bookshop with a small sign in the window and he went in. “Your sign says fortunes told.”

The old man behind the counter turned to the back and called, “Gidget, one for you.”

A girl about his age came out from between some shelves and froze.

“I apologize, I’m actually looking for a complete fraud,” Archimedes said.

“I’ll draw you a map,” she said.

As she drew, Archimedes asked, “Do you know about next fall’s tidal wave?” At the shake of her head, he took another sheet of paper and began writing down the information. “I would be grateful if you could take care of warning people.”

She smiled. “That would be my pleasure.”

Archimedes was glad that the exchange wasn’t as awkward as it could have been. There was no instinctual etiquette, so each encounter with a clairvoyant was unique. That Gidget gave him a small favor without questioning his omniscience was refreshing. He could tell that she was at a level of talent where she was worthy of delivering that prophecy, though just barely.

He found the fraud easily. The woman had the sallow look of someone who had consumed too much fish-borne poison. “Welcome. What can Madam Godeliva do for you?”

Archimedes distractedly flipped a coin through his fingers as he spoke. “I’m looking to get into the fortune-telling business and I wonder if you know where I can buy a star-finder.”

There were few times when Archimedes’ ability to perform simple tricks was useful, but practicing them was a relaxing hobby. Mostly Sarah had encouraged him to know how they were done so he wouldn’t be impressed by charlatanism, though he did find it more amazing than using actual magic when the performer was good.

Godeliva scoffed. “People around here don’t really believe in astrology, so I doubt you’d find something like that nearby. I do tea-leaves and being convincing is harder than it looks. I bet that I can read your fortune and you won’t be able to tell how I did it. If you do figure it out, you won’t have to pay.”

Archimedes found it entertaining to watch frauds work, so he nodded and sat across the table from her.

Godeliva rang a small bell and said, “While the tea is brewing, why don’t you tell me why you thought astrology would be a good gimmick? Your clients would get bored with watching you work. At least with glass-ball gazing you can make interesting faces.”

“Up North, people believe very strongly in the power of stars.” Archimedes vanished the coin. “I intend to use that superstition.”

Godeliva nodded, and a bell sounded. “I’ll be right back.” She stood and passed through a curtain behind her.

It was a minute before Godeliva returned. She set down the tray, passed Archimedes the cup, and bid him to drink. He cautiously took a sip before drinking the tea, and then passed the cup back to Godeliva.

She swirled the dregs and examined the cup. “You will find a treasure at the wharves.” She then turned the cup with a thoughtful expression and her eyes widened. “Ah, romance. You have a lady, the girl of your dreams. She’s a seamstress.”

Archimedes’ eyes widened as Godeliva turned the cup again. “She’s hiding something. An affair with your uncle.”

Archimedes knew that Godeliva didn’t have the power to see into time, and he doubted that a mind-reader would keep up the charade if she could see anything. She was getting it wrong, but the details were disturbing. He exploited her bad news to close his eyes and lower his head. He drew on the barest trickle of power, only enough to see what she did in that back room, and hiding his eyes was just a precaution. “I know.”

Godeliva set down the cup. “It’s natural to be angry. To be betrayed not only by your lover, but family, it must be hard.”

“I mean I know how you did it.” Archimedes sprang from his chair and dove through the curtain.

There he saw a woman in nothing but a shift, and there was a chain between her ankles. “Help me, please.”

Archimedes sensed her gift, and it was strong. Grimly, he grabbed her arm. He had promised not to use magic, so he sent a mental call to Keturah and they both disappeared.

When they appeared in Keturah’s home, Archimedes demanded, “What do you know?”

She flinched. “I read your past. I didn’t understand what you were talking about, but I found enough details to get your attention.”

Archimedes released her arm. He was a little galled at being read, but also that he didn’t notice it. “Well today is your lucky day. I am Archimedes, and this is Keturah.”

“I am Nerida. Thank you for saving me from my sister.”

“What happened?” Keturah asked.

“The Lady gave me a star-finder in my dream and suggested that I should find a real one. So I decided, why not? I had no idea where to get one, so I decided to ask a fraudulent fortune-teller on the chance that she knew about some sort of shop that catered to her kind.” Archimedes sighed. “I find frauds entertaining, and I would have no issue with a real clairvoyant working willingly with one, but that was offensive. The fraud was keeping a clairvoyant captive.”

“Do you have any plans?” Keturah asked Nerida.

Nerida bit her lip. “I don’t think I can survive in the world. I don’t want to try to set up a fortune-telling shop.”

“Are you willing to be a servant of the Circle?” Keturah asked. “We’ll figure out what you can do and go from there. If nothing else, Archimedes is trying to pay attention to too many things at once.”

“She has a strong gift, but I’m not sure how helpful she would be,” Archimedes said.

“You might get a star-finder from a nautical shop. Sailors use the stars to navigate,” Nerida said. “I can also cook.”

Archimedes raised his eyebrows. “Fine, I’ll give you a chance.”

Archimedes found the nautical shop. They didn’t have the type of star-finder he was looking for, but the shopkeeper explained that sextants worked better. Archimedes decided to buy one anyway, and a cheap book that explained how to navigate with it. It was an interesting idea that maybe instead of passively observing the stars for signs, they could be used to set a path.

As the shopkeeper turned to retrieve the book, he mentioned, “You’ll probably want an hourglass as well if you’re planning on a voyage.”

Archimedes was still conserving his energy, so the words came as a surprise. “Thank you, but I have one.”


	17. Chapter 17

Lailah felt odd when she returned to Valeholm after almost two years. Until she escaped Letestadt, she never imagined that she would be able to come back. Arlet and Bahira were happy to let her live with them, though seeing that they were both heavily pregnant was not something she had been warned about.

“I hope that you are not jealous,” Bahira said, “but we did convince Catullus to father our children.”

Lailah shook her head. “I remember that you showed interest and it’s not like I didn’t reject him. But… were you just teasing us, or…” She took a breath. “Would you find it offensive if I did become interested?”

Arlet smiled. “We have already decided that we should be free to love each other without having to invite a male into our bed every time. Others should be free to love each other as well, even with a mixed marriage.”

“Have you met Ozker?” Lailah asked.

Bahira giggled. “We sometimes look after his son. Ribaki is half vempari and Ozker wants him to be exposed to our kind as well as Hylden.”

Lailah blinked in surprise. “Neither Ozker or Chixiksi mentioned him.”

“Not everyone reacts well to seeing Ozker or Chixiksi with Ribaki,” Arlet said. “Because they are male, vempari make assumptions about their behavior towards the child’s mother. Ribaki’s mother was a machine, but if she was a person, she could have been willing.”

“Chixiksi said something about an unnatural method to make a child,” Lailah said. “Wait, it sounds like being willing to hold someone down isn’t just a human thing.”

“It is wrong, and rare even during the war, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen,” Bahira said. “To do that to someone that they don’t consider a person, they must have been terribly sick in the spirit. If someone did that to someone they did consider as a person, it would be worse.”

“Ribaki was made with love, which is also hard for them to think about,” Arlet said. “Hylden can take the flesh of two males to make a child. Bahira and I were tempted to do something similar, but Ozker says that such children are often born dead. He would not allow us to carry the attempt within one of our bodies. It would seem like adoption.”

Lailah put a hand on her abdomen. “My late husband was sick. Is anyone going to be angry about that?”

Arlet shook her head. “Not at you or the child. It isn’t even their business.”

Bahira frowned. “But after… I don’t know how people would react to you and Catullus. Some still believe we’re part divine, and that being with a human is debase. What would it mean if you two have children together?”

Lailah shook her head. “I’m not ready to think about that yet. I’m not even sure if we can be physical. There’s body parts that might not match, but also I’m not sure if I could stand him touching me. I don’t mean offense, but he’s blue.”

Bahira smirked. “You are odd-looking to us as well.”

It was a few days later when Ozker came over with Ribaki. When Arlet and Bahira were distracted with the hybrid boy, Lailah spoke to Ozker. “You mentioned having to get used to fingers. Do you have any advice for helping me to get close to Catullus?”

Ozker held out a talon. “There are some places that are inappropriate for you to touch, but otherwise feel free to scrutinize me.”

Lailah began exploring his talon, rubbing her fingers over the contours. “They also told me a bit about Ribaki and the problems you have. Even if I got to the point of sharing my bed with Catullus, it sounds like we shouldn’t try to have a child together.”

“Humans and vempari are unfruitful,” Ozker said. “We have a theory that a cured vampire might be able to have a child with a vempari, but we just don’t know. Hardegin has not propositioned anyone since becoming cured, so it’s possible that his fertility was not restored. We also don’t know if a cured female would be able to bear children at all, no matter who or what sort of pairing.”

“Do you know if Catullus and I could even couple that way?” Lailah asked.

“That part works, or at least I think there aren’t any physical changes in that spot when a human becomes a vampire,” Ozker said. “There is also being inventive.”

Lailah blushed and dropped Ozker’s talon. “I think I’m moving too fast. At least I know a bit about what to expect on the physical side now, but there’s a lot I don’t know about the culture.”

“Catullus was raised among humans, with a bit of other influences,” Ozker said. “It might be that you can find a way to meet each other halfway.”

Lailah considered. “I guess it’s down to what other people will think.”

Ozker sighed. “That is the entire problem. The way Catullus was raised caused him pain, all to prepare him for the purpose of trying to bridge the gaps between human and vempari. Because of my choices, I have made it so that Hylden and vempari are less likely to accept how Chixiksi and I live. I do not want to see Catullus heartbroken if it can be avoided, but I also do not want people to be so shocked at this that they reject him.”

“What do I do?” Lailah asked.

Ozker shook his head. “I cannot tell you that.”


	18. Chapter 18

Archimedes regained enough of his strength to have Catullus meet Chancellor Caldwell. He sifted through possibilities and said, “This part is hard to say. I’m not embarrassed by my family, but it would be problematic if you referred to me as your brother. You can admit that I was raised by the Circle and that we grew up as friends if the subject comes up, but be careful.”

Catullus nodded. “The way Arlet and Bahira have been mercilessly teasing me, I would not want that from an adversary.”

“You will not be able to turn his opinion in favor of respecting other kinds. This is mostly to convince Caldwell that Birney needs to learn to work with the other races,” Archimedes said. “The best we can hope for is that he sees the political advantage of becoming allies.”

“It would be better if I create an opening for you to work on him,” Catullus said. “I am a backward and incomprehensible creature who isn’t capable of understanding him.”

“I don’t see you that way,” Archimedes said. “You’re competent at what you do, but Caldwell is too resistant.”

“You are my brother, more vempari than I despite appearances, so of course you don’t see how bizarre I would be to him,” Catullus said. “I’m confident that I can pave the way for you to do what you need to do.”

“I wish that you had gotten lessons in manipulation like I had,” Archimedes said. 

“Once I knew what you intended for me, I asked for lessons,” Catullus said. “Aunt Sarah told me just to be as honest as I could be without making people too uncomfortable, and the rest would come. It’s surprising how well that works.”

Archimedes knew that Sarah outclassed him as a manipulator. She had taught him to palter and lie, but he didn’t believe that truth could be used as well. Not until she wore down his predecessor with a heavy dose of it. She had even mentioned the truth bludgeon, but admitted that it had limits. Archimedes wondered if Catullus had somehow picked up some of her tricks subconsciously. Either way, there was a potential to ruin it if he pointed it out and made his brother overthink what he was doing.

“Alright, I’ll rely on your talents,” Archimedes said. 

Archimedes introduced Catullus to Caldwell, but didn’t stay to mediate. Instead, he said he wanted to give Birney a simple lesson. Birney loved his wooden ball, and though he willingly rolled it the Archimedes, he got upset when Archimedes took a moment too long to roll it back. It was just as Tyche described, but Archimedes decided to take her at her word that taking it away wouldn’t do any good. Instead, Archimedes spent the rest of the time building trust by rolling the ball back immediately as part of a game.

“How is that woman?” Caldwell said as he handed Catullus a glass of [scotch].

“She is living with two female vempari who have decided not to marry. They will help raise Lailah’s child if she doesn’t decide to give it to another couple,” Catullus said as he accepted the glass of poison. “I imagine that our family structures would be considered strange to you, but they are becoming strange to vempari customs as well.”

“There are women who manage to support themselves, but most of them want families,” Caldwell said.

“So not everyone is forced?” Catullus asked.

“She had to respect her parents,” Caldwell asked. “What does your culture say about that?”

“Yes, parents do have rights over their children, but not to the point of forcing them to marry,” Catullus said. “Those two females that don’t want to marry, they do not want to neglect their duty to have as many children as possible. I agreed to let them use me for that purpose, but I will not exercise the rights normally awarded to a father, not unless something happens to the rest of the family. The mom that isn’t their mother will be before me.”

“You’ve sired bastards?” Caldwell asked.

“It is not shameful, even to not know who the father is. During the war, it was encouraged for women to have anyone who would agree to warm their bed. The point is to try and have children. It will remain that way for as long as there are so few of us,” Catullus said. “Vempari rarely pair off for life. If a couple stop liking each other, they can go their separate ways. Two men might also share the same woman, two women might share the same man, as long as there is no secrecy about it, it is condoned.”

“There was a war?” Caldwell asked.

“Thousands of years ago, against the Hylden, and it ended with the vempari becoming extinct. The Time Guardian brought vempari forward from before the war ended, and I am one of the few that was born in this time,” Catullus said. “My ancestors started the war at the behest of a parasite posing as their god, but fortunately we know better now.”

“There used to not be Hylden, either,” Caldwell said.

“They were imprisoned in another dimension. I hear it was a terrible place,” Catullus said. “There is still some animosity, but they remember the war as well and they do not wish to fight again.”

“So they escaped?” Caldwell asked.

“Their attempt to escape nearly destroyed this world, so they were released on a promise that they would live peacefully,” Catullus said. 

Caldwell thought. “This has something to do with the Pillars, doesn’t it?”

“If you haven’t been told, it is not my place to explain,” Catullus said.

Caldwell sent for Archimedes.


	19. Chapter 19

As Archimedes entered the room, Catullus said, “I apologize if I wasn’t supposed to discuss the war. He figured out the rest without me directly saying it.”

“He does have a right to know as much as you do about the Pillars,” Archimedes said. “I see he gave you some poison.”

Catullus set the glass aside nonchalantly. “I figured that it would be rude to mention it.”

Caldwell frowned. “Poison?”

“Vempari cannot tolerate alcohol,” Catullus said. “I have often wondered why humans enjoy drinking a substance that is clearly not good for them, either.”

“I will keep that in mind. I apologize for not knowing,” Caldwell said.

“You are outside of the Circle, but I will tell you some things that outsiders should not know,” Archimedes said. “The Pillars were originally devised as a weapon to banish the Hylden and lock them away from coming back. The Pillars tapped into the magical forces of the world, and even though we allowed the Hylden out of their prison, the Pillars must be maintained to preserve the health of the world.”

“But they didn’t exist until two decades ago,” Caldwell said.

“They were broken many centuries ago, and the world was dying until they were restored,” Archimedes said. “Each Pillar is the source of a Guardian’s magic, but it is our responsibility to control the flow of magic through our respective Pillars.”

“What does that mean for Birney?” Caldwell asked.

“We will try to wait until he is ready, but he cannot refuse what he was born to do,” Archimedes said. “When he nears adulthood, he will receive his biding token and a responsibility to the Pillar of Nature. That is also something I want to prepare him for in addition to being able to understand cultural contexts within the Circle.”

Caldwell turned to Catullus. “How are you not an outsider?”

“My mother is the Guardian of Dimension; Keturah the Planer,” Catullus said. “I also know a few of the others, such as Birney’s predecessor.”

“I thought that his predecessor had died,” Caldwell said.

“He’s a vampire, and he was dead for long enough,” Archimedes said. “The people who restored the Pillars were adults, and not all of them were adequate as Guardians. None of them are as good as people born to the role, but fortunately Keturah can remain in place.”

“How many of the Circle are vampires?” Caldwell asked.

“Just two, now. But there used to be six. Three were removed on the day Birney was born, and the other was removed a few months previous,” Archimedes said. “Including the young Guardians, there are three Hylden, two vempari, two vampires, and two humans.”

“So if an issue between the races comes up, the Hylden are favored,” Caldwell said.

Archimedes shook his head. “Guardians serve the world, regardless of race. The strongest supporter of humanity was one of the removed vampires, but generally we don’t let partiality get in the way of our duty.”

Caldwell regarded Catullus. “If Warrick had won that duel…”

“Catullus was acting as an individual, and I’m sure that his mother advised him not to get involved, but none of us could have ordered him to stay out of it. I tried to tell Catullus to walk away, but there was nothing that any of us could do if Warrick had legally killed him,” Archimedes said. “Even if Warrick had tried to murder him, it would have fallen to the leaders of Valeholm and not the Circle.”

“When she discovered what I did, it seemed like my mother had momentarily forgotten that I’m an adult,” Catullus said.

“It sounds like this mess could have been avoided if he didn’t know,” Caldwell said. “This wasn’t a vempari matter.”

“The entire active Circle is kept appraised of what we’re doing even if it’s a mediation that can be handled by only two,” Archimedes said. “As for Catullus knowing before it was over, we do still have feelings and I’m sure that Keturah thought he would be able to keep himself under better control.”

Catullus’ wings twitched. “That law is offensive. That it happened to someone I care about drove me to want to save her, but I do not condone it happening to anyone else. Would a woman have the right to force herself on her husband if he was too hungover to enjoy it? Is he forced to stay if she offends him?”

“It’s shameful not to keep the wife under control,” Caldwell said. “She is expected to be faithful and obey, and a husband can’t simply leave her except for certain reasons related to that. If Lailah had invited you to take liberties with her body, it would be the same as giving you anything else that belonged to Warrick.”

“It is disgusting that one person can own another,” Catullus said.

Caldwell asked. “What about parental rights?”

“Children do not always know what is best for themselves. Until they are ready, the parent is obligated to act in their best interests,” Catullus said. “If a parent fails in that obligation, if it found that a child is unnaturally unhappy with their care, or not given the discipline they would need to become proper adults, then they could be taken away.”

“Were you raised with proper discipline?” Caldwell asked.

“I had too much human influence,” Catullus said. “As someone raised between cultures, I can see that vempari have some things to learn as well.”

“Such as?” Caldwell prompted.

Catullus drew his wings tight against his body. “It is embarrassing.”

Archimedes knew what embarrassed Catullus most, and was glad that he wouldn’t admit to Caldwell that older vempari felt that they were better than everyone else because of a divine spark. He checked the conversation they had when he was out of the room and came up with something that sounded embarrassing. “He’s not supposed to admit that sex can be enjoyable. There are some vempari who would balk at him touching Lailah because they wouldn’t be able to have children together.”

Catullus’ offended look was genuine, and Archimedes shrugged apologetically.

When they were alone together, Archimedes said, “I was out of line.”

Catullus shrugged. “It could have been worse. I realize that I let that conversation get into an awkward place and you wouldn’t have hurt me if you could have avoided it.”

“He would have kept pressing for something, and that was the least confusing. Discussing the real bedroom habits would have looked bad,” Archimedes said. “I am grateful for you talking to him.”

“I do not like him,” Catullus said.

Archimedes decided not to mention who Caldwell reminded him of. “Hopefully there’s no point in having you talk to him again. I can already tell that I’m in for a number of headaches.”


	20. Chapter 20

Archimedes did not want to talk to Sarah, but he knew that he needed the luck he was promised if he spoke to her. He still wasn’t sure that she hadn’t caused his dream, so he spoke to Ozker a bit more first.

“The ball is as she described it,” Archimedes said.

“Knowing about that before you did would have been difficult for Sarah,” Ozker said. “Most notably, her description included it passing through a point where no one was observing it.”

Archimedes sighed. “Is there anything else that she could not have possibly known?”

Ozker shook his head. “Kismet is a loanword that means fated. Americans usually say it when there is a happy coincidence. Are you aware that Dumah is the name for the Terran angel of silence?” Archimedes nodded hesitantly, but gave no indication that he was making the right connection, so Ozker continued. “Lailah is the name of their angel of night.”

Archimedes frowned. “Sarah couldn’t possibly have… That would have been difficult even if I somehow helped her, and I wouldn’t want to be a part of helping that happen. Fortuna said that Lailah wouldn’t be much help.”

“Lailah wants to give Catullus a chance, to try and fall in love with him,” Ozker said. “Either she won’t overcome her aversion to how strange he looks, or their life together would be difficult. There is also a love song called ‘Angel in the Night’ and it gives no indication of whether it worked out.”

“What about the suffering angel?” Archimedes asked.

Ozker shrugged. “I’m not sure that I’ve solved that one satisfactorily.”

“Does Sarah know about Discordianism?” Archimedes asked.

“She was a card-carrying pope for a time, but what that means is that someone declared her a pope and she forgot that she had stuck the card into her wallet until she needed to show her driver’s license. She was drunk enough at the time that the memories didn’t form properly,” Ozker said. “She knows about the apple and a little about the hot dogs. Unless she wandered into that part of the Wikipedia archives, she’s convinced that it was an isolated prank.”

Archimedes sighed. “I’m willing to give her the benefit of doubt that she didn’t do it intentionally, or that there is an outside force acting as Fortuna.”

Sarah was nervous when she let Archimedes into her home. It had been over two years since he told her to get out of his sight. She had decided to stay in the apartment built on the ruins of Nupraptor’s retreat.

Archimedes settled into a chair and said, “I’m still bitter at you.”

Sarah closed her eyes for a moment. “I really am trying to feel bad about it. I keep forcing myself to remember, to try and make it hurt like it should.”

“Was anything that you did deliberate?” Archimedes asked.

“I wasn’t being purposely malicious at any point. I did torture, but it was for a reason even if the reason was idiotic. There are some more compassionate things where it should have occurred to me to consider my actions more carefully,” Sarah said.

Archimedes sighed. “We found your successor.”

“Chixiksi showed me. She’s a cute kid.”

“That’s all you have to say for yourself?” Archimedes demanded.

“Sorry,” Sarah said. “I really wanted it to be the vempari.”

“Chaos Bringer, Destiny Breaker, Benevolent Malefactor,” Archimedes spat. “If your Pillar really had to make an unfortunate choice, I would have preferred a human.”

“I know about the others,” Sarah said. “Ridiculous name for a Nature Guardian.”

“Birney will start calling himself Tegeirian eventually,” Archimedes said. “I’m not sure why two of the replacements are Hylden.”

Sarah quirked her head. “Have you considered asking the architects if there is an instruction manual?”

Archimedes had to laugh at the absurdity. “You’re unpredictable and I still hate what you did, but part of me misses your company.”

Sarah’s eyes glistened, but the tears didn’t come. “Focusing on my failure to you does hurt, just not enough.”

“Did Chixiksi tell you how much trouble it was to get Tanyanika’s parents to move to Uspekhi?” Archimedes asked. “We want to keep you apart for as long as possible so that you don’t somehow ruin her. You’re not meeting the other young Guardians, either, so stay away from the warrior caste. Tanyanika will be curious about you, and we’ll have to endure her whining about not being able to meet you for years.

“What was the problem with me moving someplace else?” Sarah asked. “I’m not sure that this apartment should automatically be hers, but I’m willing to cooperate if she wants it.”

“You can’t destroy the vampires if they can’t get to you,” Archimedes said. “I feel bad about being part of another purge, even if it’s not killing the people, but I can’t repeat your mistake of not choosing a side. For now, it’s simply not the vampires. I hope I never have to choose between vempari and humans.”

“Does Kain know?” Sarah asked.

“He knows my opinion and is sure of my intentions.” Archimedes let out a small chuckle. “I offered my cooperation in slowing it down, but he knows enough about my domain to realize that no amount of effort on his part can disrupt what’s happening even if I do nothing.”

“Are you going to be fine emotionally?” Sarah asked.

“I don’t know,” Archimedes said. “If I start falling apart, are you still willing to try to put me back together? I think everything about this is all your fault, Aunt Sarah.”

“No need to guilt-trip me,” Sarah said. “I don’t refuse to help if I can. I’m not built that way.”

“I wish there was a way to keep you under better control,” Archimedes said.

“We’re not equals anymore. Claim me as your slave. I don’t mind being property as long as I’m treated well, and I think you’d be a good master,” Sarah said. “It’s not perfect, but I’ll be obligated to follow orders.”

“Isn’t slavery wrong?” Archimedes asked.

“Usually.” Sarah frowned. “Community Service. It’s a lenient punishment, but sometimes criminals are sentenced to do things like pick up trash or serve as tutors. It needs to be something positive and helpful, but I’m willing to rely on you continuing to act for the greater good. Are you willing to keep putting me to tasks until my penance has been paid?”

“I might not last that long, even though I am starting to comprehend what more than a century might feel like,” Archimedes said. “As long as you refuse orders that are malignant, I think that others can be involved.”

Sarah stood from her chair and then knelt. “I am yours, Master.”

“Don’t do that,” Archimedes said.

Sarah stood again. “Can I call you Boss?”

Archimedes nodded. It was tolerable until he could think of something better.


	21. Chapter 21

Because of the vampire population in Aschedorf, Sarah couldn’t move in with Archimedes, and he wasn’t willing to live in a place where he didn’t speak the language. They were also used to doing their own thing, especially back when they were peers. Sarah was able to form a mental connection so that she could come when he called, but otherwise they lived their own lives until Archimedes needed her. It was just as well because he had enough trouble with the servant he was living with.

Nerida wasn’t completely unpleasant company. Being hidden away for so long meant that she hadn’t practiced social graces, but she and Archimedes were able to adjust to each other’s behavior and expectations. Nerida was content to cook and clean for someone who appreciated it, and she was up for the task, especially after Keturah had taught her some new recipes.

The biggest problem with Nerida was the way her clairvoyance manifested. It took her effort to be in the present moment, and she often became confused. Part of Archimedes’ mind was non-linear, but he had trouble understanding just how someone who was supposed to be linear coped with constantly being somewhen else. He often found himself feeling sorry for her.

Because Archimedes didn’t have any projects that he could trust Nerida with, he sat her down and said, “I can see that your gift is causing you trouble. I’ve thought about what I could do, and there are only two choices. I could leave you the way you are and hope that your control improves, or I can block your power so that you can learn to live as an ordinary person.”

Nerida had been focused when he said that, but then she grew distant for a moment. “I would like to know what it feels like to be ordinary. You will unblock me again if you can use my help?”

“If you consent to keeping that option open, I can do that,” Archimedes said.

Blocking Nerida’s clairvoyance introduced new problems to replace the ones she had. Like Archimedes, she hated surprises, and she was often startled by things that a normal person wouldn’t react to.

One day, Archimedes walked into the living room where Nerida was sitting in tears. He sat down next to her and said, “I’m not concerned about the meal.”

Nerida was partially distraught by some spoiled vegetables ruining her plan for dinner, and how her failure might have disappointed him, but that wasn’t all. She smiled wanly. “How can people live like this?”

“How do you cope with being stuck on the ground all of the time?” Archimedes asked. “I’m the only person in my immediate family who has never been able to fly.”

Nerida stared at him in confusion, and then she got it. “I didn’t see this lasting, but at least now I know why. I’m not sure how to describe it.” She wiped away her tears.

“There are other differences in our experience. I’ve travelled outside of my own lifetime and my powers became weakened to the point of near-uselessness. I am in control and I don’t enjoy being without them,” Archimedes said. “I thought that you were likely to feel something similar, but you deserve the choice, to know what it means.”

“Thank you. What you’ve given me is precious,” Nerida said. “Before you unblock my powers, I’m wondering… You told me that you wouldn’t allow yourself to care deeply about anyone else that you didn’t already. Would you like to lie with me as you would a lover?”

“That’s not necessary. I enjoy offering kindness and I don’t need to be repaid,” Archimedes said. “I would not have you giving your body to me like a whore.”

“I want this, too,” Nerida said. “Just sharing in comfort without it going further than that.”

Archimedes sighed. “The thought is tempting.”

Nerida moved in slowly and lightly touched her lips to his. When he didn’t move away, she deepened the kiss. Archimedes reached out and laid a hand on the small of her back. After a moment, she drew back, breathless. Archimedes stared for a moment, gray-shot brown gazing into a blue like the sea, and then he cradled her face in his other hand as he moved in for another kiss.

They retreated to the bedroom. Though they were both virgins, they had also seen things that they shouldn’t have, private moments that they had viewed unnoticed. They went slowly, savoring each other, making it last. Then when they were spent, they lay silently in each other’s arms until sleep took them.

Archimedes returned Nerida’s gift to her the next morning, and their night together almost seemed like a bizarre dream. He considered how now that she had made her choice against being normal, perhaps he could still do something better than making her earn her keep as a simple housemaid.

In Sarah’s home, Catullus stood nervously in front of his aunt and uncle. He was blushing so hard that his cheeks looked bruised. “Lailah is interested in me. She kissed me. We didn’t get much further than cuddling, but I don’t know what feels good to humans. I don’t have anyone else I want to ask.”

“This is really happening.” Sarah sighed. “What happens behind closed doors is no one else’s business, and I encourage you to keep the wrong people from knowing.”

“I will not be ashamed of it,” Catullus said.

“I’ve already talked to him about it,” Ozker said.

Sarah shrugged. “Well, having an open and honest discussion about it with Lailah is about the sexiest thing ever. I do know some spots you can try if you want to surprise her, but not everyone is into the same thing.”

“I certainly hope that Lailah does not share your predilections,” Ozker said. “When Sarah was mortal, she enjoyed coming out of it with marks and bruises on her skin.”

Catullus balked, but Sarah signaled for him to be calm. “Like I said, not everyone is into the same thing. I’d be surprised if Lailah was into that. She might enjoy being tickled, but I didn’t start liking that until I stopped needing to breathe. If you do try tickling, making sure that she can communicate is important, and start slow. Maybe a single brush to the back of the knee or the sole of the foot, but talk to her before it goes further than that.”

Catullus frowned. “Tickling is sexual?”

“Not always. Using it to torture your brother was perfectly fine when you were kids. Even with adults it could be just friendly,” Sarah said. “The scalp is also sensitive if she’s into letting you comb her hair.”

Catullus considered. “Any other spots?”

“Her pregnancy might make her breasts too sensitive to enjoy having them touched too much.” Sarah considered. “Try the ear. A light touch to the back and edge, a bit of breath, gently sucking on the earlobe.”

“That’s one that never would have occurred to me,” Catullus said.

“Make sure you keep Lailah’s hands away from your umerus,” Ozker said. “I can’t imagine that human males have any nerves at all on their backs, considering what women do in the throes of passion.”

Sarah favored Ozker with a sheepish look. She hadn’t meant to hurt him like that, and it was fortunate that she was trying to be gentle during their first time together. They had stopped fooling around before her own anatomy changed, but a curious exploration allowed her to warn the Razielim about a similar sensitive spot in the muscles that supported their wings.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this in August. It really belongs either at the end of Breaking the Timestreamer or as the first chapter of this work.

It was between Sarah’s removal and her own. Lorica asked to speak with Kain, and he invited her to his home because of her saying that it wasn’t Circle business.

Lorica had thought hard on how to put it delicately, and ultimately failed. “Sarah speaks about Lord Raziel as if he were her friend, but that person does not sound like our sire.”

“Paramor and then peer, does it truly surprise you that my eldest son would hide himself like I have?” Kain asked. “I doubt that more than a very select few from the clans had a true understanding of their sires.”

Lorica’s nod conveyed acceptance, but the rest of her mannerism indicated her skepticism. “I have never heard him tell a joke.”

Kain chuckled. “He had a gift that he rarely employed even when interacting with me, until near the end. It was through Sarah teasing him that I learned his full potential of wit. She knew him in ways that neither of us did, granddaughter.”

“I feel unwell. I am jealous, and yet I know that it was improper,” Lorica said.

“When Sarah was my serf, it seemed that she was completely ignorant of the structures of the royal courts I knew in my youth, the ones that the empire was based on, but I didn’t prevent her from slipping into a jester’s true role,” Kain said. “Every time Raziel and I tried to conduct ourselves with the dignity that you would expect from us, she attacked it with surprising ferocity. That Raziel seemed to enjoy the lack of pretense is the only reason I allowed it. Looking back, it seems odd that she suddenly tried assuming the decorum that was expected of her when she became our peer.”

Lorica frowned. “I cannot say if she was ignorant of the rules or simply rejected them. According to old tales, she is not the first person you encountered that gave an impression of stupidity.”

Kain closed his eyes as if to blot out what he was feeling. For one thing, he was more like the man he despised than he had thought, and Kain was still wrestling with that revelation. For another, he never imagined that he would be taken in again. “After I betrayed Raziel, his ability to trust was considerably damaged. Sarah could still put him at ease with little effort. Have you not felt yourself how difficult it is to not trust her?”

“I am still convinced that she only recently decided to destroy us, despite how I know otherwise,” Lorica said. “Seditious creature, it is fortunate that the rest of the clan rejected her strangeness.”

“I’ve known her for centuries longer than you have, and I was unable to see any hint of true dishonesty. It was common for her to wield the truth in a painful manner,” Kain said. “Remember that you are equal in status to me and tell me true. Do you think that she has clouded my judgement?”

“Yes, but I am not unhappy with a certain result,” Lorica said. “My clan has not abandoned the foundation of caring about quality over quantity. We would be slow to rebuild our numbers even without the limits placed upon us by the truce, but the truce with the humans is a welcome protection.”

“That her sinister nature seems so pleasant is the true danger,” Kain said. “She often provoked Raziel and I into arguing about entertainment for children, of all things. We were bored, but not to a degree that should have caused us to humor her.”

Lorica stifled a laugh. “I’m aware of some of her fairy tales, and that she took them seriously was a prominent reason for asking her to leave. The oddest thing is that her exile was far from an official banishment, though I think it would have quickly gotten to that point if she resisted leaving.”

Kain frowned. “That the offspring surpass the forebearer is a mortal desire. Still, I’m happy that your brothers and sisters managed to escape her relatively unscathed.”

Lorica frowned. “What if it is contagious? What if being exposed to someone she has affected is in itself a danger?”

“A contagious idea.” Kain scoffed, but then he sneered. “Blunted claws. I gave her access to the power to do just that.”

Lorica frowned deeper as Kain adopted the far-off look of someone who was communicating telepathically.

“Sarah, did you use the Mind Pillar’s magic to create an infectious idea?”

“Ideas come that way naturally,” Sarah whispered back. “Some don’t survive long enough to be passed on, but the ones that do can spread like wildfire. The Terran expression for it is to go viral.”

“How do I stop it?” Kain demanded.

“I don’t know,” Sarah said. “I’ve heard that you can’t kill an idea, and I’d have to look into it, but I think that killing the carriers doesn’t go well. Trying would involve not giving an explanation why.”

A cold pit formed in Kain’s stomach as he broke contact. Deliberately or not, it seemed that Sarah had introduced an unstoppable plague that could destroy the vampires. Even worse was because of its nature, giving more than the vaguest warning about it would cause it to spread.

Kain laughed to hide his true feelings. “Ridiculous. It didn’t even occur to her to try.”

Lorica gave a relieved smile. “I guess we should be grateful for small boons.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This happens just before the camping trip in Chapter 3.

It was the day before Catullus’ camping trip in New Eden. Hardegin and Ozker were working with a few Nadzeya vampires to set up the campsites.

Hardegin’s hand slipped as he tried to pick up a box that was too heavy for him. He was still unusually strong by human standards, but that was nothing compared to the strength he had as a vampire. He winced at the pain from his scraped hand and quickly licked away the blood before frowning. He hadn’t tested whether or not he had retained the ability to heal quickly, and apparently the answer was a no.

Ozker walked up to him and summoned a small vial from his pocket dimension. “You’ll want to clean that properly.” He held a cloth to the mouth of the bottle, dampening it with the substance before offering it to Hardegin.

Hardegin glanced around to confirm that the other vampires were ignoring him. They had specifically been chosen for their self-control, should any of the campers injure themselves. He took the cloth and rubbed it on his scrape. “Thank you.”

“Any regrets?” Ozker asked.

Hardegin sighed. “I can’t have it both ways, and I’m enjoying some aspects of being cured.”

Ozker nodded. “If I could be immortal without the rest of it, I would choose that.”

“That seems odd, assuming you’re doing it for Chixiski,” Hardegin said. “I never met a cursed human who seemed capable of loving someone for even a decade even though uncursed humans stay together for the rest of their lives if they find someone special.”

“It is very odd considering that Hylden and vempari cultures don’t expect two people to remain together forever,” Ozker said. "It is partly for Chixiksi, but I'm also hoping to stay alive long enough to not feed the parasite."

“So it is true, you’ve rejected the gift I gave you.” Vorador strode into the campsite.

“If you recall, I didn’t want to be cursed in the first place,” Hardegin said. “The only reason why I didn’t jump at the chance to be cured when I first learned of it was because I was afraid of going back to the way I was before. Turning me into a vampire ironically made me less savage.”

Vorador narrowed his eyes. “I gave you the divine right to revel in killing, and instead you let that twice-failed abomination convince you not to indulge yourself.”

Hardegin shook his head. “The only thing that Sarah did was to show me that I might be able to retain the best parts of myself no matter what I am. I had already stopped being such a monster before I met her.”

“Also, I find your attitude insulting,” Ozker said. “There were some vempari who didn’t seem to care much about their change in appetite, but generally the bloodthirst was seen as the horrifying affliction that it was meant to be. If anything, Hardegin is probably closer to what Janos intended when he passed the curse to you.”

Vorador scowled. “Fine words coming from a traitor.”

“That’s all you have to say about it?” Hardegin asked. “Fine thing to attack the messenger when you can’t deny the truth of the message.”

“Unless he specifically told you, you can’t know what Janos was intending at the time,” Vorador spat.

“The same could be said of you,” Ozker said. “My reasons for not being cured are selfish, though there was a time when I would have asked for it without hesitation. Are you under an obligation to stay as you are?”

“I wouldn’t give this up for anything,” Vorador said.

“This was my choice and I don’t care if it offends you,” Hardegin said. “Even if you convince me to regret it, I can’t go back to being a vampire.”

Without warning, Vorador lunged for Hardegin. His talon was just closing around the former vampire’s throat when he turned to mist and dodged away. Then Hardegin rematerialized and flung a ball of fire that singed Vorador’s coat. Vorador stared in surprise and Hardegin said, “I didn’t lose everything.” He had also been surprised at what powers remained after he’d recovered from becoming mortal again. Even combined with the spells he’d retained after relinquishing his Guardianship, he still did not like the thought of having to defend himself against Vorador.

“You’re more trouble than you’re worth. If you’re still alive in a few decades, tell me if you still don’t regret your decision.” With that, Vorador left the campsite.

Hardegin was tense as he listened for signs that Vorador was still lurking. His senses were still much sharper than a human’s but vampires could move silently if they wished and the one sense that Hardegin had lost was the ability to know when a same-bloodline vampire was near. “It’s hard to believe that he’d give up so quickly.”

Ozker was also on alert. “Do you want to forgo watching the campers?”

“I can’t let myself be useless just on the threat that my former sire might attack me,” Hardegin said. “I also don’t think he’ll try anything once Catullus gets here. It’s not exactly like the geas, but even I cared about him more than I had reason to.”

“Is the geas still there?” Ozker asked.

Hardegin sighed. “It’s hard to tell. I don’t want to fight with Vorador because I know I can’t beat him even if I’m not holding back. He managed to defeat Malek at the height of his power and then kill him when it should have been harder.”

Ozker gazed at Hardegin for a moment. “I’m afraid that I cannot offer any solution or comfort for that.”

Hardegin snorted. “I’ve come to appreciate brutal honesty about how things are, and even now I’m not really afraid of death. I will die, my soul might wander in a terrible twisted version of the world for a while, and then it will get eaten by the parasite or something else. There is no eternal reward for being righteous, but at least the Sarafan were also wrong about there being an afterlife of eternal torment and suffering for the wicked. I’m not going to judge anyone who wants to hold onto this miserable life for as long as possible, but I needed to be mortal again before I went out even if it means going out sooner than I could have.”


End file.
